Nigerian football stars shortlisted for the 2023 Confederation of African Football Awards are expected to arrive in Marrakech, Morocco on Sunday.
Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen the Napoli Striker was nominated for the prestigious award alongside Egyptian captain Mohammed Salah and Achraf Hakimi from Morocco.
The 24-year-old has been outstanding for Napoli last season leading the Serie A club to their first league cup in 33 years and scoring the highest number of goals; 26 in 32 Serie A games and 31 goals in all competitions last season.
The Napoli Striker won the Serie A Best Striker, Paolo Rossi and Italian Footballers’ Association Player of The Year awards as well as finishing eighth in the recent Ballon d’Or award shortlist and is in contention for the Globe Soccer award as well as CAF Awards 2023.
Osimhen has helped Nigeria’s Super Eagles phase through to qualify for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast and finished the qualification series as top scorer with 10 goals.Nigerian stars also nominated for awards are Asisat Oshoala, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Deborah Abiodun.
Oshoala, a five-time winner of CAF women’s top prize hopes to win the award for the sixth time despite Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Thembi Kgatlana of South Africa as her contenders.
She helped Barcelona claim the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and led the Catalans to a league victory while staying unbeaten the whole season. Nnadozie will also have Khadija Er-Rmichi from Morocco and South Africa’s Andile Dlamini to contend with for the Goalkeeper of the Year award in the women’s category.
However, Abiodun will have to battle for the Young Player of the Year award in the Women Class with Ghana’s Comfort Yeboah and Morroco’s Nesryne El Chad as contenders.