Ivorian and Chelsea football legend Didier Drogba has expressed interest in meeting with Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen npflupdates.com reports.
Drogba wasn’t present in Marakech, Morocco last night when Victor Osimhen was crowned as the best player in Africa for the year 2023.
Also read: Osimhen, Oshoala, Nnadozie Wins Big At The 2023 CAF Awards
Osimhen emerged CAF POTY for 2023, after having a stellar season with Napoli and the Super Eagles of Nigeria. With Napoli, Osimhen won the club’s first ever Scudetto title in more than three decades. He also finished as the league’s best striker and highest goalscorer with 26 goals.
And with the Super Eagles of Nigeria, the 26-year-old qualified for the 2023 African Cup Of Nations (AFCON) tournament. He finished as the AFCON qualifiers highest goalcorer with 10 goals.
Speaking after his coronation last night, Osimhen appreciated and identified Didier Drogba as his Idol. According to Osimhen, he watched and looked up to Drogba while growing up as kid in Lagos, Nigeria.
The former Olympique Lille forward, confessed he’s looking forward to meeting with his idol Drogba.
Didier Drogba celebrate Victor Osimhen aftr CAF POTY award
And Drogba, a former CAF POTY winner, while celebrating Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala (who won the CAF POTY female category) said he’s waiting for Osimhen and his teammates in Ivory Coast.
“Long live the new King and Queen of Africa @victorosimhen9 @asisat_oshoala @caf_online. Congratulations my Nigerian People, we are waiting for you in January @afcon_2023,” Drogba posted on his official Instagram handle and was quoted by NPFLUpdates on Facebook .
Also read: Mikel Obi : Victor Osimhen Will Give Us Goals When He Comes To Chelsea
In another story, a former Super Eagles Captain, Christian Chukwu has called for the inclusion of homebased players into the Super Eagles squad for the 2023 AFCON.
Chukwu expressed his concerns as a guest on the Channels Television programme, ‘Channels Sports Sunday.’
“Our coach should come and stay with us in Nigeria. We have a lot of talents in Nigeria, in our local league and when you don’t camp and train them and forget about this we have a match, we come on Thursday, they train on Friday, they play on Saturday and they disperse again. We don’t have a team.
“Let’s come back home, all those playing overseas are good players. They have the opportunities, we have those players back home who are equally good but they don’t have that opportunity to go abroad and play and if you come here and discover them, let you be their manager and then expose them to the Europe people. We have players who are very good, better than the foreign-based players but they don’t have the opportunity.”
“You have to come home and discover them and train them. I am not saying they should not be mixed with the foreign-based. Invite the foreign-based but give the home-based opportunity. They are the ones you can use to get anything you want to get.
Also read: Osimhen Has The Arrogance Of Didier Drogba Should Join Chelsea Now – Mikel
“As far as I am concerned we don’t have a national team now because even our coaches stay abroad. He comes with the players to come and play and travel again. He should come and reside here, let us work together. We are ready to help him with whatever he wants to achieve.”
