Victor Osimhen named Serie A player of the year
By Arrey Egbe
Nigerian-born Victor Osimhen has won the Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC) Player of the Year award for the 2022/23 Serie A season.
The 24-year-old took home the trophy at the Gran Gala del Calcio in Milan, Monday night.
The body that supports and protects professional football players in Serie A, B, Lega Pro and women’s football, AIC was responsible for organizing the award.
Osimhen also featured in Serie A’s best 11 of the 2022–2023 football season. Other players include Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessandro Bastoni, Kim Min Jae, Stanislav Lobotska, Hakan Calhanoglu, Nicolo Barella, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Rafa Leao.
The Super Eagles striker was largely involved in Napoli’s Serie A title acquisition last season — the club’s first in 33 years where he scored 25 league goals to become the league’s highest goalscorer. He also set the record as the first African footballer to achieve the feat.
Osimhen was named the eighth-best male footballer in the world at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony – higher than any other African on the list.
He also became the first Nigerian to be named in the top ten of the Ballon d’Or and equally made the final shortlist for the 2023 CAF footballer of the year award.
