Napoli’s Victor Osimhen has been nominated by Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) for the upcoming 2023 FIFA Best Men’s Player Award npflupdates.com reports.
Victor Osimhen was instrumental for both club and country this year, hence his nomination for the covetous award. Last season, the Nigerian won the Italian Serie A highest goalscorer award; becoming the first African to achieve the feat.
Also last season, he was voted as the Italian Serie A Best Striker; and also Best International Player in the Serie A.
More interestingly, he helped Napoli win its first ever Scudetto title in more than three decades. And last weekend, he helped Nigeria clinch a ticket to the next edition of the AFCON tournament that will be held in Ivory Coast.
Other players in contention for the FIFA Best Men Player are the following as posted on Twitter by Fabrizio Romano:
Julian Alvarez, Marcelo Brozovic, Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, Erling Haaland, Rodri, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kylian Mbappe, Declan Rice, Bernardo Silva.
The Best FIFA official nominees 🏆✨
Julian Alvarez 🇦🇷
Marcelo Brozovic 🇭🇷
Kevin De Bruyne 🇧🇪
Ilkay Gundogan 🇩🇪
Erling Haaland 🇳🇴
Rodri 🇪🇸
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 🇬🇪
Kylian Mbappe 🇫🇷
Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
Victor Osimhen 🇳🇬
Declan Rice 🏴
Bernardo Silva 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/rP3jawIzZD— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 14, 2023
Recall, recently, npflupdates.com reported that Victor Osimhen was nominated for the Ballon d’Or award.
Victor Osimhen talks about Ballon d’Or nomination
“I must say it is a dream come true for me. It is a big honour for me and my family,” Osimhen told reporters while reacting to the nomination.
“I have worked so hard for a moment like this and I must say it is a reward for all the years of hard work and dedication.”
Speaking further, he confesses the nomination can only make him work harder. “This can only spur me to do better and get more recognition,” he concluded.
In a related development, the former VFL Wolfsburg forward, admitted in interview that it would mean a lot for him, if he can win the CAF Best Player Award.
Osimhen in 2015 won the CAF Youth Player Of The Year, after helping Nigeria win the FIFA U-17 World Cup. And since then, he has his eyes gazed at the covetous CAF Best Player Award.
“It [would] mean a lot, a whole lot to me,” Osimhen told Pulse.
“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).
“Since then, for me, it became a dream to try to be there and win something as prestigious as that.
Meanwhile, he thinks now is the time for him to be able to achieve that. “I think mow I have a huge opportunity to actualise this dream. I’m really looking forward to it, and hopefully, it comes home.”
