Victor Osimhen beats Mahrez, Salah to win Best African International award

Nigeria and SSC Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has won the 2023 Ghana Football Awards Best African International Player award for the first time in his career for his third individual honour this season.

Following a hugely successful 2022-23 season for club and country, the 24-year-old was shortlisted for the Best African International award alongside treble-winning Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez, Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.

Osimhen amassed more votes than his rivals to win the award for the first time in his career and claim his third individual award of the season. The striker won the 2022-23 Serie A Striker of the Season award, as well as the Capocannoniere for the league’s highest goalscorer.

After leading Napoli to the Scudetto and helping Nigeria’s Super Eagles qualify for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations with a game to spare, Victor Osimhen is a frontrunner to become the first Nigerian since Kanu Nwankwo 24 years ago to be named as the CAF African Player of the Year.