Osimhen seeks to break Nigeria's 24-year African Player of the Year streak, taking on Salah and Partey

Posted : 01 November 2023

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed the 30-player shortlist for the 2023 African Player of the Year awards, featuring Nigeria's Victor Osimhen as a prominent nominee.

Osimhen is among the favorites, competing against other top players like Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Arsenal's Thomas Partey, and PSG's Achraf Hakimi for the continent's best player award at a Gala night set for December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco.

Osimhen's exceptional achievements, including his pivotal role in Napoli's Scudetto triumph and historic UEFA Champions League quarterfinal appearance, have positioned him as a strong contender.

Furthermore, his impressive 8th-place finish in the Ballon d'Or rankings has solidified his status among African football stars in 2023.

If Osimhen secures the prestigious CAF Player of the Year title, he would join the ranks of Nigerian greats such as Nwankwo Kanu, Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amunike, and Victor Ikpeba, who have previously received this esteemed accolade.

Notably, Osimhen could become the first Nigerian to win the award since Kanu was named the best player in 1999, ending a 24-year wait for the three-time African champions.

The last CAF Awards Gala in July 2022 in Rabat, Morocco, saw Sadio Mane of Senegal and Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala emerge as the African Player of the Year and African Women's Player of the Year, respectively.

Full List of Nominees (in alphabetic order by Member Association):
Player of the Year (Men)

Ramy Bensebaini (Algeria and Borussia Dortmund)
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria and Al Ahli)
Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso and Bayer Leverkusen)
Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon and SSC Napoli)
Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon and Besiktas)
Ibrahima Sangare (Cote d'Ivoire and Nottingham Forest)
Seko Fofana (Cote d'Ivoire and Al Nassr)
Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo and Olympique Marseille)
Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Pyramids)
Mahmoud Abdel Moneim "Kahraba" (Egypt and Ahly)
Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)
Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)
Mohammed Kudus (Ghana and West Ham United)
Thomas Partey (Ghana and Arsenal)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea and VfB Stuttgart)
Yves Bissouma (Mali and Tottenham Hotspur)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain)
Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco and Olympique Marseille)
Hakim Ziyech (Morocco and Galatasaray)
Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco and Manchester United)
Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)
Yassine Bounou (Morocco and Al Hilal)
Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco and Sevilla)
Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria and SSC Napoli)
Sadio Mane (Senegal and Al Nassr)
Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Tottenham Hotspur)
Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)
Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Ferencvaros)

Osimhen seeks to break Nigeria's 24-year African Player of the Year streak, taking on Salah and Partey

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