Victor Osimhen Wins Serie A Player Of The Year Award

Victor Osimhen 

Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has been crowned the Italian footballers' association player of the year for his Napoli performances last season

Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, won the Italian Footballers' Association's Player of the Year award for his Napoli exploits in the previous year.

The Super Eagles player, who assisted his team in winning their first league championship in thirty-three years, was given the honor on Monday night.

In 2022–2023 Osimhen broke George Weah's record as the highest-scoring African in the Italian top division with 26 goals in Serie A.

Along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andrea Pirlo, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Rafael Leao, the winner from last year, the former striker for Lille and Wolfsburg became the first African to receive the AIC award.

“Thank you for the recognition and awards, thank you my family, friends and supporters for your votes and unending support,” Osimhen, who was also included in the Serie A team of the year, said in a message posted on X.

Osimhen, 24, has been sidelined by injuries this season; nevertheless, after making his league debut as a substitute in Walter Mazzari's team's victory over Atalanta on November 25, he has scored six goals in ten appearances.

The attacker, who ranked eight in the 2023 men's Ballon d'Or, will look to use the AIC award to make history by being the first Nigerian player to win the Confederation of African Football (Caf) men's player of the year trophy since 1999, when former Arsenal forward Nwankwo Kanu accomplished the feat.

 However, it was a double thrill for Africa, when Malawi international Tabitha Chawinga, who scored 23 goals for Inter Milan last season to finish as the highest scorer in the country, won the AIC women's trophy.

The 27-year-old striker made history by becoming the first African woman to top the scoring chart in Serie A Femminile. She is currently on loan at Paris St-Germain.

Chawinga, however, was shockingly left off of the shortlist of nominees for Caf's African women's player of the year award.

The Caf awards winners will be revealed in Marrakesh, Morocco on Monday, December 11.

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