Osimhen aims to end Nigeria’s 24-year wait for CAF Player of the Year award amid stiff competition

<p>Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen is among the nominees for the 2023 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Men’s Player of the Year award.</p>, <p>Osimhen is one of the 30 players nominated for the African Footballer of the Year award. Alongside the Napoli attacker, other prominent nominees for the award include Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Al Ahli’s Riyad Mahrez, Al-Nassr’s Sadio Mane, Al Hilal’s Yassine Bounou, and Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi.</p>, <p>Osimhen’s impressive performance includes scoring 26 goals in 32 appearances, contributing to Napoli’s Serie A title win for the first time in 33 years last season. He also clinched the Golden Boot as Serie A’s top scorer and netted five goals in six UEFA Champions League matches for Napoli.</p>, <p>However, the 24-year-old missed the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) hosted by Cameroon due to injury. He was also absent from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, won by Lionel Messi-led Argentina, as Nigeria failed to qualify for the tournament after losing to West African rival Ghana during the qualification series.</p>, <p>Notably, Osimhen secured the 8th position in the final Ballon d’Or top 30 rankings for this year.</p>, <p>The former Lille attacker faces stiff competition from the likes of Mahrez, Mane, Bounou, Hakimi, and Salah for the CAF award. It’s worth mentioning that Mahrez achieved a treble with Manchester City, winning the Premier League, FA Cup, and UEFA Champions League before moving to Al Ahli in the summer. On the other hand, Mane led Senegal to victory in the previous edition of AFCON in Cameroon and secured the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich, although he didn’t participate in the World Cup.</p>, <p>Similarly, Bounou showcased an outstanding performance for Morocco at the World Cup in Qatar, leading the team to the semi-final stage. He also secured the UEFA Europa League title with Sevilla before his move to Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal in the summer. Bounou achieved the 13th position in the final Ballon d’Or top 30 ranking for this