Ghanaian legend Asamoah Gyan believes that Nigerian Victor Osimhen deserves to win the African Footballer of the Year award for 2023.
According to him, the 24-year-old forward has done enough over the year to surpass the competition. Osimhen had a successful 2022/23 season, where his goals and assists helped Napoli to be crowned Serie A champions for the first time in 30 years.
The Super Eagles’ center-forward scored 26 goals in the Italian top flight, becoming the first African to clinch the league’s top scorer title. He also netted five times in the UEFA Champions League as Napoli reached the quarter-finals of the competition.
However, Osimhen faces stiff competition for the African Player of the Year award, notably from Algerian Riyad Mahrez, who won a treble with Manchester City last season. Another strong contender is Yassine Bounou, who helped Morocco reach the semi-finals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup and also won the Europa League with Sevilla.
Gyan, nonetheless, believes that Osimhen’s individual and club achievements outweigh those of his other competitors, and he deserves the award. “For me, he deserves it. As a forward and considering what he’s done, winning the league with Napoli for the first time in over 30 years. He deserves it,” he said on Brilla FM, as quoted by Ghanaweb. The African Ballon d’Or award ceremony will take place on December 11th in Rabat, Morocco.
