Unquestionably, VICTOR OSIMHEN was the most outstanding African player from November 2022 to September 2023 (period considered for the CAF awards).
At club level, what he achieved in Italy’s Serie A was exceeding. He became only the first player in the 125-year history of the Italian topflight to win the Capocanonniere (Serie A top scorer award). He averaged a goal every 99 minutes played (26 in total in just 32 games) to clinch Napoli’s first scudetto in 33 years.
At national team level, he is not given enough credit. Victor OSIMHEN finished overall top scorer of the AFCON 2023 qualification phase with 10 goals.
In any ordinary season, he would have been outright favourite to win the CAF Player of the Year award this year. However, the period considered for the award (November 2022 to September 2023) includes the 2022 FIFA World Cup which he missed and which Morocco made history for Africa. It is a lot easier to attribute Morocco’s success to team work and the coach than to an individual player, but the voting panel could have a penchant for Achraf Hakimi as another way of honouring Morocco’s historic run at the World Cup.
If that is the case, it won’t be the first time the World Cup makes the difference. The legendary Samuel ETO’O emerged top scorer in LALIGA in 2006 with 26 goals and was man of the match in Paris, scoring as Barcelona beat Arsenal to win their first Champions League title in more than a decade. However, his lack of World Cup action in 2006 in Germany cost him as Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba was crowned African Player of the Year.
Victory for victor Osimehn?
