Izuchukwu OkosiSuper Eagles striker Victor Osimhen on Monday afternoon arrived Marrakesh, Morocco to attend the 2023 African Footballer of the Year Award ceremony via a private jet from Naples, Italy.
The Nigerian international made the cut as one of the three finalists for the prestigious award.
Former Ajax, Inter Milan, Arsenal, West Bron and Portsmouth forward Nwankwo Kanu was the last Nigerian to win the gong in 1999 – which he also scooped in 1996.
Interestingly, Kanu was ranked 11th in the Ballon D’Or Awards ceremony in 1996 which Osimhen bettered in the current edition when he was adjudged the 8th best player on the planet.
By his arrival, Italian publication, Repubblica reports that Osimhen missed his team’s Monday morning training session at Castel Volturno ahead of the UEFA Champions League game against Braga.
Nigerians are rooting for the Napoli striker, last year’s top scorer in Serie A with 29 League goals to win the Player of the Year award ahead Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi.
The ceremony begins at 7pm Nigerian time at the Palais des Congrès, Movenpick, Marrakech.
Also in the running for awards in Monday evening’s awards from the, Nigerian side are Asisat Oshoala (African Footballer of The Year – women), Chiamaka Nnadozie (Goalkeeper of the Year – women), and Deborah Abiodun (Young Player of the Year – women).
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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