Osimhen is in the top three for the CAF Player of the Year award and is aiming to break Nwankwo Kanu’s record
The Confederation of African Football has added Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen to the three-man list for the CAF Player of the Year award, Soccernet.ng reported.
Osimhen was named alongside Egyptian Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and PSG full-back Achraf Hakimi. The shortlist looks solid, but it’s not quite the top three that many fans were hoping for.
While Osimhen’s position is absolutely irrefutable and Hakimi absolutely deserves it, Salah’s arrival has raised some eyebrows. But a closer look at his stats might make you think again.
Since the discussion about the CAF Award began, other important players besides Osimhen have been highlighted, including Yassin Bounou, Hakimi, and Hakim Ziyech. That’s quite understandable given the great World Cup with Morocco.
Bunou also won the Europa League with Sevilla. In fact, he played a huge role in his team’s victory, making some great saves. Ziyech, on the other hand, had a disastrous season at Chelsea. However, Hakimi won Ligue 1 with his PSG.
Meanwhile, two old warhorses, Salah and Sadio Mane, have been on the back burner due to their poor performance last season.
Sadio Mane had a disappointing year at Bayern Munich, scoring just 12 goals and six assists in 38 appearances for Bayern. He was also affected by an injury, which prevented him from participating in the World Cup.
It would be easy to say that Salah is not a candidate for the CAF award, but if you look closer, there is a good chance that the 31-year-old will win the award. Salah scored 30 goals in 51 appearances for Liverpool last season. Despite not being at his best, he saw the light of day after a poor season in which Liverpool missed out on Champions League qualification.
At first glance, it would be easy to say that Salah has no chance, but when you consider popularity and track record, which are important criteria for these awards, the Egyptian star is the front-runner.
Nevertheless, Osimhen hoped that his success at Napoli would seal the deal. He also won the Ballon d’Or award a few weeks ago as the highest African player. However, like Mikel, who was expected to win the award in 2013, Osimhen may miss out on the award in 2023.
The award ceremony will be held on December 11th.
