Super Eagles and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen will be contesting for the 2023 CAF Best Player Award npflupdates.com reports.
Osimhen will for the first time ever in his career be in contention for the CAF Best Player Award following a successful 2022/2023 season.
Last season, the 24-year-old helped Napoli win its first ever Scudetto title in more than three decades. Also he finished as Serie A top scorer with 26 goals, becoming the only African player to achieve such feat.
Also read: Remo Stars Brilliant Enough Technical Errors Cost Us CAFCL – Ogunmodede
The former Olympique Lille forward, was also awarded Serie A Best Striker last season; also he was voted as the Best Foreign Player in the Serie A.
CAF through a post on it official X handle listed Osimhen as one of the contenders for the covetous individual prize.
Attention everyone 🚨
Your nominees for the 2023 Player of the Year (MEN) award. 🥁 #CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/nMj2gsC0NZ
— CAF (@CAF_Online) November 1, 2023
Recall, npflupdates.com reported that Osimhen said it would be a dream come true for him to win the award one day.
Osimhen confess wanting to win the CAF POTY
“I remember in 2015 when I won the (CAF) Youth Player of the Year (award). You know, I saw the winner (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang) walk up to the podium to receive it (the CAF POTY award),” the former VFL Wolfsburg forward said.
“Since then, for me, it became a dream to try to be there and win something as prestigious as that.”
He added, “I think now I have a huge opportunity to actualise this dream. I’m really looking forward to it, and hopefully, it comes home.”
Full List Of Nominated Players For 2023 CAF “Best Player” Award
Also read: Osimhen : World Cup Winner Genuinely The Toughest Defender I Ever Faced In My Career
Ramy Bensebani
Riyad Mahrez
Edmond Tapsoba
Frank Anguissa
Vincent Aboubakar
Ibrahim Sangare
Seko Fofana
Chancel Mbemba
Fiston Mayele
Mahmoud Abdel
Mohammed Abdelmonem
Mohammed El Shenawy
Mohammed Salah
Mohammed Kudus
Thomas Partey
Serhou Guirassy
Iyves Bissouma
Achraf Hakimi
Azeedine Ounahi
Hakim Ziyech
Sofyan Amrabat
Yahya Jabrane
Yassine Bouno
Youssef El-neysri
Peter Shalulile
Victor Osimhen
Sadio Mane
Pape Matar Sarr
Percy Tau
Mohammed Aliben
Reacting to the latest development, NPFLUpdates in-house analyst Mr Best, has revealed two reasons why he thinks Osimhen may not be able to win the 2023 CAF Best Player.
Reasons why Francophone player may win the 2023 CAF POTY
According to Mr. Best, first, Nigeria wasn’t at the 2022 FIFA world cup tournament in Qatar where Argentina won its first world cup prize in decades.
Per his assertion, the 2023 FIFA Ballon d’Or Award was presented to Messi, because he won the the world cup with Argentina, and not because of his club side performances. So, since Nigeria wasn’t at the world cup; and Morocco who had players( Achraf Hakimi and Yassine Bouno) in contention achieved history, by becoming first African nation to reach a world cup semifinals; it may go the way of Hakimi or Bouno.
“Nigeria wasn’t at the world cup, and you know the 2023 Ballon d’Or was all about the world cup. I think Yassine Bouno and Hakimi stands a chance due to their W’Cup achievements,” he said.
Also read: CAF Sets December 11 Date For Annual Awards
Secondly, Best argued that Osimhen from an Anglophone country, may witness low votes when compared to his Francophone counterparts.
Voting is usually done by journalists, National team coaches and captains. “Since Francophone countries are higher in number as CAF member nations; their votes may Likely be for a Francophone player. Football is all about politics, and we all know that,” Best retorted.
