Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s current top striker, has won the Italian Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Year award for his Napoli exploits in the previous year.
The Super Eagles player, who assisted his team in winning their first league championship in thirty-three years, was given the honour on Monday night.
In 2022–2023 Osimhen broke George Weah’s record as the highest-scoring African in the Italian top division with 26 goals in Serie A.
Along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Rafael Leao, the winner from last year, the former striker for Lille and Wolfsburg became the first African to receive the AIC award.
Osimhen, who was also named to the Italian Serie A team of the year, said on X, “Thank you for the recognition and awards, thank you my family, friends and supporters for your votes and unending support.”
Despite suffering injuries this season, Osimhen, 24, has scored six goals in ten league games since making his Walter Mazzari team debut on November 25 as a substitute in the team’s victory over Atalanta.
The attacker hopes to become the first Nigerian player to win the Confederation of African Football (Caf) men’s player of the year trophy since former Arsenal forward Nwankwo Kanu achieved so in 1999. Osimhen finished ninth in the 2023 men’s Ballon d’Or.
In the meantime, Malawi international Tabitha Chawinga, who finished as the domestic best scorer for Inter Milan last season with 23 goals, won the AIC women’s prize, making it a double delight for Africa.
The 27-year-old striker made history by becoming the first African woman to top the scoring chart in Serie A Femminile. She is currently on loan at Paris St-Germain.
Chawinga, however, was shockingly left off of the shortlist of nominees for Caf’s African women’s player of the year award.
The Caf awards winners will be revealed in Marrakesh, Morocco on Monday, December 11.
Thank you @GranGalaAIC for the recognition and awards, thank you my family, friends and supporters for ur votes and unending support. GOD is the Greatest🙏🏽 🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/UMJixFdwY5
— Victor Osimhen (@victorosimhen9) December 5, 2023
