Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen has been named as one of the final 10 candidates for the men’s categories of the 2023 CAF Player of the Year accolade.
Following his commendable eighth position at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony in October, he is considered a strong contender for the prestigious award. Osimhen faces tough competition from previous champions Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Riyad Mahrez.
Also on the shortlist are four Moroccans Achraf Hakimi, Sofyan Amrabat, Yassine Bounou, and Youssef En-Nesyri.
The quartet played crucial roles in Morocco’s historic achievement as the first African nation to reach a FIFA World Cup semi-final.
Osimhen aims to emulate Nwankwo Kanu, the last Nigerian, to win the award in 1999.
The Napoli striker played an important role in leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years and became the first African player to secure Serie A’s Golden Boot with 26 goals.
The Interclub Player of the Year has 10 contenders whilst Goalkeeper of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year, and Club of the Year have five each.
The ultimate winner of each category will be decided after votes from a voting panel consisting of CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, head coaches, and captains of member associations and clubs involved in the group stages of the Interclub competitions.
According to the CAF release, “The ultimate winner of each category will be decided after votes from a voting panel consisting of CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, head coaches and captains of Member Associations and clubs involved in the group stages of the Interclub competitions.”
The award ceremony is scheduled for December 11 at the Palais des Congres, Marrakech, Morocco.
Source: Punch
