Victor Osimhen:
Victor Osimhen is really making Nigerian and the entire African continent really proud on the international stage. Last night, Osimhen was awarded the Italian footballers’ association player of the year following his exceptional performances for his club Napoli last season.
The Super Eagles star was presented with the award on Monday night after helping his side win their first league title in 33 years, and equally emerging the league’s highest goal scorer with a total of twenty six (26) goals, breaking the record previously held by fellow African footballer George Weah as the highest scoring African player in Serie-A.
Recall that Osimhen came 8th during the recently concluded 2023 men’s Ballon d’Or, and now has added another glory to his already glittering name in the world of football. Meanwhile, he has already been tipped to win the 2023 Confederation of African Football (Caf) men’s player of the year award. Should he go on to win the award, he will become the first ever Nigerian to do so since the last time former Super Eagles skipper and Arsenal’s playmaker, Kanu Nwankwo did it in 1999.
Tabitha Chawinga:
On the other hand, another African player, in the person of Malawi international Tabitha Chawinga, clinched woman’s version of the AIC’s award. She was named the domestic league highest goal scorer last season (2022/2023), with a total of twenty three (23) goals while playing for Inter Milan women’s team, though currently on loan at PSG.
Though she was surprisingly left out of the CAF award for the Africa’s Woman player of the year with the ceremony scheduled to be hosted on December 11, 2023, in the North African country, Morocco. She was literally on fire last season while playing for Inter Milan in the Serie-A Femminile, of which she became the first African female player to ever win the highest goal scorer in that league.
Well, be that as it may, we are really proud of her and Victor Osimhen for their great exploits on the global stage, which has also continued to write the African continent in gold before the entire world. Though it’s unfortunate that she’s not being celebrated enough, like her male counterpart, Victor Osimhen is being celebrated since last season, and since last night as well.
(Photo Credit: BBC Football/PSG.fr)