Izuchukwu OkosiThe Confederation of African Football (CAF) has expectedly listed Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, as one of top 10 players to watch at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire that begins next week Saturday, reports Prime Business Africa.
The SS Napoli star was deservedly awarded the CAF African Footballer of The Year winner for 2023 after a sterling season at the Serie A current champions that saw the club win the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years when Diego Maradona inspired them to win the title in 1990.
Osimhen’s goals were also crucial in qualifiying Nigeria for the AFCON beginning next week.
If Osimhen plays against Equatorial Guinea on 15 January in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, it would be his second game in the history of the tournament.
Osimhen was a second half substitute in the third place match in 2019 when the Super Eagles defeated Tunisia to claim the bronze, replacing Odion Ighalo.
A facial injury forced him to withdraw from Nigeria’s squad to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Saturday’s countdown to the tournament by the African football ruling body also had other distinguished players like Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Mohammed Kudus, Vincent Abubakar, Sehrou Guirassy and Sébastien Haller.
Others on the list include the trio of Azzedine Ounahi, Mohamed Amoura and Peter Shalulile.
The hosts Cote d’Ivoire will play the opening game of the tournament with Group A opponents, Guinea-Bissau.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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