2023 Ghana Football Awards: Osimhen wins ‘Best African International Player’ prize

Ayomikun Elemikan Sports 26/06/2023

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has won the ‘Best African International Player’ award at the 2023 Ghana Football Awards, NRTC reports.

The 24-year-old pipped Riyad Mahrez, Mohammed Salah, and Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to the award on Sunday night.

Victor Osimhen was awarded the ‘Best African International Player’ prize during the Ghana Football Awards on Sunday (Image: @topskillsportuk)

Osimhen claims the prize for the first time as he also becomes the first Nigerian to win it.

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The Napoli forward enjoyed a blissful league campaign where he led Napoli to their first Serie A title since 1990.

During the season, he also became the first African to win the Serie A top scorer award with 26 goals. He was also named the best striker in the 2022-23 league season following his superlative performances for the Naples club.

Osimhen announced himself to the world when he won the 2015 U-17 World Cup with Nigeria in Chile. He scored 10 goals to become the outright top scorer in a single U-17 World Cup tournament, breaking Florent Sinama Pongolle’s record of nine [achieved at the 2001 U-17 World Cup held in Trinidad & Tobago] (Image: @yabaleftonline)

Subject of interest amongst various European clubs

Currently, the former Wolfsburg and Lille striker is linked with a move away from the club. The likes of Chelsea, Bayern Munich, PSG and Manchester United are reportedly interested in landing him before the 2023/24 season.

Osimhen’s most recent outing for the Super Eagles was his man-of-the-match performance against Sierra Leone in the 2023 AFCON qualifier where he scored a brace to help Nigeria secure a ticket for the next AFCON tournament.

Asides Osimhen, Ajax attacker Mohammed Kudus also won the ‘Footballer Of The Year’ award during the 2023 Ghana Football Awards.