Osimhen, Oshoala sweep CAF awards for African Player of the Year 2023
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala swept CAF awards for African Player of the Year 2023 in both male and female category.
Osimhen, who plays for the Italian football club, Napoli, achieved the title of 2023 CAF African Player of the Year, marking the first Nigerian to claim the honor since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.
The 24-year-old surpassed contenders Mohammed Salah and Achraf Hakimi after an impressive 2022/2023 season, contributing significantly to Napoli’s Serie A victory with 26 league goals and 31 overall, earning him the Golden Boot and Serie A Player of the Season accolades.
Osimhen’s remarkable feats included breaking records, notably surpassing Liberia’s President George Weah for the most goals in the Italian topflight.
At the 2023 Ballon d’Or, he secured the 8th position globally, ranking ahead of renowned players like Luka Modric, Mohamed Salah, and Bernardo Silva.
Also at the CAF Awards, held in Marrakech, Morocco, Nigeria’s Oshoala clinched the Women’s Player of the Year for the sixth time, while Morocco’s Walid Regragui and South Africa’s Desiree Ellis earned Best Coach of the Year titles in the Men’s and Women’s categories, respectively.
Percy Tau of South Africa and Al Ahly received the CAF InterClub Player of the Year, with Senegal’s Lamine Camara and Moroccan Nesryne El Chad recognized as the Young Player of the Year in their respective categories.
Morocco’s national team was honored for their performance in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, winning the Men’s National Team award, while Nigeria claimed the Women’s National Team of the Year.
Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns secured the Male and Female Club of the Year awards.
South Africa dominated the Best XI players in the Women’s category, while Morocco’s World Cup semi-final team had two representatives in the male version.
The winners in each category were determined through a voting process involving the CAF Technical Committee, Head Coaches, National Team captains, and media professionals.
