Former Togo and Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has explained why he believes Victor Osimhen should get the 2023 African Player of the Year award.
Osimhen played a key role for Napoli who won their first league title since 1990.
The Super Eagles striker netted 26 goals to become the first player from Africa to win the golden boot in the Italian topflight.
His impressive performance last season has placed him as one of the favourites for the award.
The last time a Nigerian won the award was Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.
Speaking in a video interview posted on the Twitter handle of BBC Sport reporter Mimi Fawaz, Adebayor -winner of the award in 2008 – said Osimhen’s performance last season gives him the advantage.
“It’s very simple, we have seen the season and for me if you ask me who deserve the 2023 African Player of the Year award its Osimhen, because of what he has done with Napoli, scoring in all the biggest games in Italy and also winning the Scudetto.
“He has done quite well, who is there (to challenge Osimhen) Sadio Mane was injured and had a difficult season, Mohamed Salah had one of his worst season in his career, there’s the guy from Cameroon Zambo Anguissa but the star player in Napoli is Osimhen.
“If you ask me to vote and I am given 10 votes I will give 12 to Osimhen for the 2023 African Player of the Year.“
Also giving his views on who should be crowned 2023 African Player of the Year award was former Arsenal and Cameroon midfielder Alex Song.
However, Song picked his compatriot André-Frank Zambo Anguissa over Osimhen for the award.
“It’s tough, Osimhen did well, there’s Zambo Anguissa and he did very well. I will go for Zambo Anguissa after having a great season, Osimhen as well.
“Obviously one of them has to win because they had a great season but hopefully the award will return to Cameroon.“
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COMMENTS
SONG you don smoke nitrous oxide, the way your Hayatou robbed Okocha of the CAF player of the YEARS, you want to start again. Tofiakwa, your wickedness and Ahitophelian counsel will not stand in Jesus name. Osimhen for the prize. Thanks Adebayor.
Zambo Anguissa was an integral part of the Napoli team that won the Serie A.
He was an integral part of the Indomitable lions that won bronze at the AFCON, qualified for the world cup and finished the tournament with 4 points beating Brazil in the process, while Osimhen was absent in both.
So what makes you think Osimhen has the sole rights to the AFOTY award.
Its this senseless arrogance and sense of entitlement that will continue to be our nemesis.
We had better be careful…….The likes of Yassine Bonou and Youssoff El Nesyri won the Europa League and reached the Semi Finals of the World Cup…..Riyahd Mahrez won the EPL, FA cup and UEFA Champions League….Sofiane Amrabat was UEFA conference League and Coppa Italia finalist and World cup Semi finalists and is almost being signed by Manchester United now.
These are all worthy contenders for the award too and there’s nothing like wickedness there.
This why presidency will continue to elude igbos. Because the is not presumably going to an igbo, bile blood is immediately raised. Wait for it
Dr Drey, how you dey? You have well spoken…but my position will not change albeit the robbery of Okocha by Hayatou.
Okocha was not robbed of the AFOTY award. It was a keen contest at a time Etoo was also smarting from impressive performances for Cameroon culminating in the 2002 AFCON trophy and 2003 Confed Cup final medal as well as for Mallorca and Barcelona, culminating in winning the Copa del Rey in 2003 and the LaLiga in 2004.
What did Okocha win in 2003 or 2004…? Relegation battle…?
Etoo was the best African player of the entire decade between 2000 and 2010 by miles.
Let’s be truthful and keep sentiments aside.
If you say Okocha was robbed in 1998, it could hold water, but it would have been plain sentiments to overlook all Etoo was achieving right from year 2000.
Yes we know Okocha was massive for Bolton Wanderers in the period too, especially the 2004 season when they reached the final of the carling cup and finished in the top half of the EPL. He definitely should have won it if Etoo was not his nearest competitor. But we all have to accept that Etoo was a worthy competitor at the same period and eventually a worthy winner.
@Dr Drey
I respectfully disagree. I do understand that most were involved in a lot of tournaments and won trophies but I think based on precedence it goes beyond just participation or being a team member of a successful squad.
How key were you to that squad and the moment?
I dare say,if trophies and participation were the major yardstick ,why did Mikel fail to win the African footballer of the year when he actually won trophies and was not just a part but an integral member of both teams?
Yes. Amrabat,Enesyri, Anguissa, Mahrez, all had stellar seasons but Rationally speaking but this season,Osimhen was head of over heels better. This is no bias or arrogance but fact.
To play that game, If Mahrez was to be crowned African king then Grealish should be going for ballon dor. Or maybe Declan Rice too. After all, they both won trophies and played a world cup.
Heck, Chukwueze was voted the best African player in Spain, same league Enesyri et al plays.
Yes. I wouldn’t be surprise if CAF does otherwise and vote someone else but in my books ,it is Osimhen’s to lose.
Going by your dimension Mr Hush, I beg to ask, was Anguissa not a Key member of the same Napoli squad starting 36 out of 38 games in the engine room of the team and only missing 2 due to injury….??
Was he not a key member of the Indomitable Lions team at both the AFCON and the World Cup where Osimhen didnt feature….?
Is Alex Song wrong to view him as a contender too…?
Where Youssouf EnNesyri and Yaccine Bono not integral members of both club and national team too…??
Bono is even adjudged as the best goalkeeper in Spain for about 2-3 straight seasons now and last listed amongst the top 3 at the last world cup where he reached the semifinals
As a Nigerian, I will sincerely love to see Victor win this award that has eluded us for close to 25 years now (a sour sign that we are not the kings of Africa as we always want to fool ourselves into believing). But to act like there will be no dispute to that contest in to deny the obvious. But a part of me tells me CAF may not want Africa’s 1st even place in a world cup semis go unrewarded.
Why…if you may ask..?
In 1990 when Cameroon reached the Qfinals, it was awarded to Roger Miller
In 2002 when Senegal reached the Qfinals too, it was awarded to Elhadj Diouf
In 2010 when Ghana reached the Qfinals, it only took a treble winning season with Intermilan for Gyan to come second behind Etoo.
Morrocco reached the Semifinals of the last World cup for the first time for Africa, Morrocan players were Key men in the Sevilla team that won the Europa, Morrocco is both Arab and Franchophone. I’m sorry if its not seeming to me that winning the Serie A makes the next AFOTY a forgone conclusion for Victor Osimehn.
@Drey is right on this topic. Even though Osimhen’s heroics are valuable, the points raised by Drey are deciding factor for AFOTY.
Also, I do agree that Okocha was robbed in 1998. It will be tough for CAF to ignore players that performed exceptionally and took their teams to great heights in the biggest stage of the game for this year AFOTY.
Of course, like other high performing African stars, Osi9 is in contention for the award.
@Dr Drey
Then why was Mikel not awarded for 2012 or 2013 season. Chelsea was top and Nigeria as well.
Mikel was an integral part of both teams.
Why was Okocha denied in 98 and Hadji given?
I am sure the Ghanaians can come in and scream blue murder about Samuel Kuffour not winning or The great himself, Abedi Pele, when they had stellar seasons then.
We could go down that rabbit hole and it wouldn’t end.
I am not arguing against the exploits of the mentioned; Mahrez, Anguissa, En neysri et al. They had a splendid season and should be up there against Osimhen.
I am just stating the inconsistency of CAF and this award. We all know there would be a bit bias. There has always been. More so now, there is increased ‘ voting’ So why can’t we have ours.
Song could go with Anguissa, it would not be out of place. As for me, I would go with Adebayor,it wont be out of place.
Well…that what Im telling y’all.
Winning the Europa leagues and AFCON didnt guarantee Mikel the award…..so why is winning the Serie A making it a sure banker for Osimhen.
In a year where there are worthy contenders too…..any winner would be worthy of bearing the torch.
@Dr Drey
Touchè
Hush. I agree with you. All others are competitors but they will not be worthy winners. What was Mahrez contribution. He was not at the world cup too.
Oshimen was massive scoring good goals in all competitions. I wonder thr argument for anguisa when we know awards have always gone to scorers.
If it worked against Mikel why should it favor anguisa. Yaya scored goals and won. So we need to argue against Oshimen now.
Why should we Start condemning Nigerians now that we have another bright chance of winning it.
Kanu scored hat trick against Chelsea in EPL and won it, so Oshimen who broke all records in Italy and is even the highest goals scorer in African qualifiers does not deserve it.
Okay let us lose this and wait for another 25 years
There is a conispercy against Nigeria foot ball by some African countries so that they will hinder thirr progression; since Nigeria has won Atalanta Olympic this conispercy has been begun, because there is a grudge against Nigeria football; see why Okocha has not been given AFOTY reward and has been given to Hadji; why this reward has not been given to Obi Mikel or Victor Moses who have won UEAFA Champion in 2012 then AFCON. Cup in South Africa 2013?!but this time Osimhen deservs this reward cause any African player has not reach his standard in European leauges.
I carefully went through so many comments as per this thread and I realize that even Alex Song failed to understand the criteria used in awarding the best player in the continent of Africa.
We’ve team work and individual contribution.
Yaya TOURE used individual work to knock off Mikel… In terms of goals and assist for his Man City team back in 2012.
Eto used goals to snatch the award from okocha on 3 different occasions.
In 2010, everyone including myself was disappointed when Messi was announced world Best ahead of our favourite WESLEY SNEIJDER(sorry for the digression) who won UCL, scuddeto and played in the world cup final.
We’ve seen time without numbers how individual performance outsmart team work when it has to do with this accolade.
The likes of Zambo Anguissa, BONO, Marhez, Amrabat et all African footballers that laid their hands on
any trophy performed pretty well during the the just concluded season but all their performance is classified under “TEAM WORK”…..
What have they won individually?
Anguissa, BONO, Amrabat all went to the world cup which they reached semi finals apart from Zambo Anguissa…. This is called TEAM WORK.
ANGUISSA WON BRONZE AT AFCON….. THIS IS TEAM WORK.
ANGUISSA WON SCUDDETO which OSIMHEN also did.
… THIS IS TEAM WORK.
BONO WON EUROPA LEAGUE….. THIS IS TEAM WORK.
MARHEZ WON UCL, EPL, FA CUP….. HE MAY EVEN WIN SUPER CUP….. ALL THESE ARE TEAM WORK.
OSIMHEN WON SCUDDETO….. THIS IS TEAM WORK.
WHAT HAVE THESE PLAYERS ACHIEVED INDIVIDUALLY IN THE JUST CONCLUDED SEASON?
OSIMHEN WON HIGHEST GOAL SCORER IN SERIE A… THIS IS INDIVIDUAL award.
OSIMHEN WON BEST STRIKER IN SERIE A…… INDIVIDUAL AWARD.
OSIMHEN IS THE HIGHEST GOAL SCORER IN THE CURRENT 2023 AFCON QUALIFIERS, 7 GOALS….. INDIVIDUAL.
ETO PLEASE WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, TELL YOUR TIN god Anguissa to bring his own individual award that will get OSIMHEN knocked off…..
BONO, Marhez, Amrabat et all pls you guys should bring your own individual award or accolades for assessment.
Please let’s try and balance this criteria before we use world cup and AFCON particition and Rob OSIMHEN of his deserved honor.
Team work and individual work must be observed.
I rest my case….
SHALOM
Wow! This is a PRECISE and BALANCED one @UBFE…You just gave a SUMMARY bro. THUMBS UP…
@Monkey Post….
Brotherly.
One love