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Victor Osimhen is the first Nigerian to win Africa's Footballer of the Year since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999
Victor Osimhen has been hailed as the “new king of Africa” after the Nigerian striker was named the continent’s 2023 Footballer of the Year.
The 24-year-old Napoli player picked up the award at the Confederation of African Football (Caf) awards ceremony on Monday evening, beating off competition from Egyptian captain Mohamed Salah and Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi.
For Osimhen, who grew up in the dusty streets of Olusosun in Lagos, it is a “dream come true” after being confronted with the harsh realities of life as a child.
“I must thank everyone who helped me on this journey and all Africans who helped make me known despite my mistakes,” Osimhen said.
Osimhen, who is greeted daily with the stench of a landfill in his neighborhood, says that despite all odds, he had a burning desire to succeed.
He had to sell newspapers and water bottles and described his situation as being in the trenches.
“As a young boy who had to drive through traffic almost every day to overcome the numerous challenges my family and I faced, becoming a treasure in Africa and world football was a wild dream,” he said in one message posted on X.
“My football journey has been a roller coaster ride full of highs, hard lows and emotions.
“The goals and the celebration of victories keep me going, even when the criticism, hatred and pain of defeats hit me hard in the chest.”
After scoring 26 goals to help Napoli win their first Italian league title in 33 years, Osimhen became the first Nigerian to win the Caf's men's award since former Arsenal striker Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.
“What Osimhen has done is incredible,” former Arsenal and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who won the award in 2008, told Caf TV.
“In England it may be easy to score goals, but in Italy it is not possible because they are defensively and tactically strong.”
With former Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, himself a two-time Caf Footballer of the Year, describing the former Lille striker as Africa's new football queen, there is now hope that he can lead Nigeria into a new era of success.
Child of Destiny
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Osimhen (left) starred at the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup
Osimhen's rise to the top was slow rather than a story of a miracle that only lasted a single season.
Playing for Nigeria in the victorious 2015 U17 World Cup was the turning point in his career that showed he was a child of destiny.
His ten goals in Chile secured him the Golden Boot and made him Caf's Young Player of the Year – yet Osimhen almost missed out on inclusion in the squad.
“I had already overlooked him because he was working with other players who were playing poorly,” Emmanuel Amuneke, the coach of that team, told ` Sport Africa.
“But my backroom staff noticed him and brought him to my attention. I gave him another chance and he proved that he made it into the squad.”
It was no surprise that after receiving his Caf award in Morocco on Monday, Osimhen praised his former coach for helping him achieve his dreams.
“Special thanks to Emmanuel Amuneke. Without him, I probably wouldn't be standing here holding one of the most prestigious awards in world football,” he said.
There were definitely a few bumps along the way.
His move to German club Wolfsburg in January 2017 almost proved to be a nightmare for the young talent, who played 16 times without scoring before a loan move to Charleroi in Belgium saved him in the 2018/19 season.
Osimhen's reputation at Lille was so boosted that Napoli reportedly paid $96 million (€81.3 million) for his services in July 2020 – one of the highest fees ever for an African player.
Before his outstanding season that saw him secure a historic Serie A title, he was forced to miss the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) due to Covid-19 and a facial injury, which still requires him to play with a protective mask.
In addition, he had to cope with the deaths of his mother and father in 2020
“The loss of my dear parents during this journey leaves a scar on my heart as they have always been my main driving force for success,” Osimhen added in his post on X.
“I would like to thank my wonderful family for always having my back and loving me so much. I wouldn’t have made it this far without your support.”
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Osimhen was directly involved in 31 goals as Napoli won Serie A last season and reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League
Liverpool striker Salah and former Reds player Sadio Mane, both 31, had won the last four CAF Awards together and Osimhen's success in Marrakech could herald the arrival of the next generation.
His Super Eagle colleague Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen), Ghanaian midfielder Mohammed Kudus (West Ham) and Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart) have already caused a stir this season.
The team failed to qualify for the finals in 2015 and 2017, finished third in 2019 and was eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2021 edition in Cameroon.
“This recognition at the highest level is a huge win for Nigerian football,” Adam Muktar Mohammed, chairman of the Abuja Football Association, told AFP.
“Obviously there is a wealth of talent in Nigeria. We just need to harness this talent to be a major force in international football.”
Drogba – who Osimhen recognized as his idol in his youth – believes Nigeria could certainly pose a threat at Afcon 2023, which begins in Ivory Coast next month.
The Super Eagles were drawn in Group A at the finals alongside hosts Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
Should Osimhen get his hands on the Nations Cup trophy in Abidjan on February 11, the recognition he has received since his coronation in football-mad Nigeria on Monday night will reach a new level.
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