OSIMHEN BATTLES SALAH, HAKIMI FOR 2023 CAF BEST PLAYER AWARD

Read Time:1 Minute, 7 Second

Super Eagles and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, will battle Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi for the 2023 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award. CAF announced the final three shortlist on their X handle.

Osimhen is hoping to become the first Nigerian since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999 to win the award.

On Monday in Milan, the 24-year-old was named the Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC) Player of the Year for the 2022/23 Serie A season.

Salah has been a recipient of the award after winning it twice in 2017 and 2018.

For Hakimi, he will become the first Moroccan to win the award after Mustapha Hadji in 1998.

Other Nigerians who made the final shortlist in their different categories include Asisat Oshoala, Deborah Abiodun and Chiamaka Nnadozie.

Oshoala is in the running to defend her Women’s Player of the Year award as she is in the three-player shortlist with Barbara Banda of Zambia and Thembi Kgatlana of South Africa.

Nnadozie is in contention for Goalkeeper of the Year while Abiodun made the final nominee for Women’s Young Player of the Year award.

Earlier CAF shortlisted Nigeria for the 2023 Women’s National Team of the Year alongside Morocco and South Africa.

The winners will be announced on Monday, 11 December in Marrakech, Morocco.