By Daniel Edu
Mouktar Mohammed, the Chairman of the FCT Football Association, has voiced his support for Victor Osimhen to win the African Player of the Year award for 2023. Osimhen was recently listed among the top 30 players for the prestigious CAF African Player of the Year 2023, with the Awards Gala scheduled for December 11 in Marrakech, Morocco.
Mohammed commended Osimhen’s outstanding performance in the past year, emphasizing his remarkable achievements both in Africa and on the global stage. Osimhen made history by finishing in the eighth position in the 2023 Men’s Ballon d’Or rankings, becoming the first Nigerian to achieve such recognition in the male category in 24 years. His achievements include leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years, scoring 25 league goals and becoming the top scorer in Serie A, breaking George Weah’s record for the most goals scored by an African in the Italian league.
While Mohammed acknowledged the competitive nature of the African Player of the Year award and the presence of strong contenders like Achraf Hakimi and Riyad Mahrez, he firmly believed that Osimhen’s remarkable achievements, including his impact on Nigeria’s qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations, made him a deserving candidate for the title. Despite potential challenges, including regional divides and political factors, Mohammed expressed his confidence in Osimhen’s candidacy, emphasizing that his achievements were truly incredible and worthy of recognition.
