Izuchukwu OkosiThe chances of Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen becoming the next Nigerian after Nwankwo Kanu to win the prestigious CAF African Player of the Year has been enhanced with his nomination on Friday in the top 10 list for the 2023 awards, reports Prime Business Africa.
Nigeria were not one of Africa’s representatives at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar as they lost out in the playoffs against Ghana after the West African rivals battled in two-legged fixtures.
Osimhen had a super campaign at Napoli last season. He scored 31 goals in all competitions to help his team lift the Scudetto for the time in 33 years when Diego Maradona inspired them to the title.
Osimhen also helped Napoli reach the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals and also broke longstanding goal records held by Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o and Liberia’s George Weah.
He also had a good year with the Super Eagles, finishing the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers as the highest goalscorer.
Earlier in November, Africa’s football governing body CAF released a list of 30 players for the CAF POTY awards, and Osimhen was on the list.
The list has been reduced to ten again, and Osimhen has made the cut.
The Napoli star has competition from club teammate Angussa Anguissa, Riyad Mahrez, Vincent Aboubakar, Mohamed Salah, Achraf Hakimi, Yacine, Sofyan Amarabat, Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou, Yousef en-Neusiri, and Sadio Mane.
Osimhen is the favourite to win the award, especially after he emerged as the highest-ranking African player at the Balon d’Or ceremony.
If he wins the the CAF POTY award, he will be the first Nigerian to win the award since 1999 when Nwankwo Kanu who won the prize for the first time in 1996, to win it again.
CAF’s Instagram page wrote: “𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗻.
“Your final shortlist for Player of the Year (MEN) award is here. #CAFAwards2023
The CAF Awards ceremony will hold on December 11 in Marrakech, Morocco.
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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