It was a historic night for Nigerian football as Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala emerged as the best players in Africa.
Super Eagles and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, has been named 2023 CAF Men’s Player of the Year.
The Napoli goal-getter beat Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi to the prestigious award – the first time a Nigerian has picked up the title since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.
Kanu won it twice in 1996 and 1999 when he was in Arsenal and Inter Milan.
Osimhen joins the late Rashidi Yekini (1993), Emmanuel Amuneke (1994), Nwankwo Kanu (1996, 1999), and Victor Ikpeba (1997) as the only Nigeria men’s players to be crowned African Best Player.
It would be recalled that Osimhen also became the first Nigerian to finish in the top 10 of the Ballon d’Or vote with an eighth-placed finish and was made a Member of the Federal Republic in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, His compatriot, Barcelona Feminine star Asisat Oshoala won her 6th consecutive award as the 2023 Africa Women’s Player of the Year.
She beat off competition from South Africa and Racing Louisville’s Thembi Kgatlana and Zambia and Shanghai Sengli’s Barbra Banda.
Also, Super Falcons goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie won the inaugural African Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year while the Super Falcons won the African Women’s National Team of the Year.
South African Desiree Ellis picked up her fourth Caf Coach of the Year award after leading Banyana Banyana to their first World Cup.
The men’s award went to Morocco’s Walid Regragui on a great night for the Atlas Lions, who were named the National Men coach of the Year, The 48-year-old beat Senegal’s Aliou Cisse and Algeria’s Abdelhak Benchika to the award.
Their heroics at Qatar 2022 – where they became the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final – also helped Yassine Bounou win the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year prize.
Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa were named the Women’s Club of the Year after triumphing in the African Women’s Champions League for a second time.
Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly, who won a record 11th Champions League title in 2023, won the Men’s Club of the Year award.
The winners are voted for by a panel consisting of Caf’s technical committee plus African media professionals, head coaches and captains. Clubs involved in the group stages of Caf’s continental competitions also have a say.
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