Tag: Osimhen

• Amuneke prays Osimhen win Africa’s Soccer King Award 

Coach Emmanuel Amuneke said he will be so happy  should  Super Eagles  striker, Victor Osimhen , get crowned  as the 2023 African Footballer of  the Year tonight in Marrakech, Morocco.

Amuneke, the  1994 African Footballer of the Year who gave Osimhen  his international break at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, said  his mentee has done  well in the year under  review  despite facing stiff oppositions from  Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Morocco’s Ashraf  Hakimi.    

“ For being nominated in the final top three is a good sign that he can win the African Footballer of the Year award, “ noted the erstwhile Barcelona winger.

“ He deserves it  because he was able to guide his team to win the league for the first time after very long years and was also the highest goal scorer in the Italian league as such, he has a strong chance of becoming the next African Footballer of the Year.

“ Of course , the other two contenders also did well  with their respective clubs .For us as Nigerians, we just hope that he ( Osimhen) can win it. 

Amuneke, one of the African legends   already in Marrakech for the awards,  surmised that  he will be so delighted  if Osimhen  can join the exclusive list of Nigerians  to be crowned  as continental best  following on the heels of  the  other  recipients Rashid Yekini(1993); Victor Ikpeba(1997) and two-time winner Nwankwo Kanu (1996 and 1999).   

“Personally, I will be happy for him,” continued  Amuneke.“ I was a past winner of this same award as the 1994 African Footballer of the Year and it is a thing of pride to see a player  that went through our hands at the youth level  to be in the final top three.

Read Also: Obaseki hails Osimhen on Serie A Best Player award

“ I’m equally happy  for him also that he has not look back since he was  the highest goal scorer  when we won the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2015; he has continued to push himself  and this is the fruit of hard work .

“ I wish him the very best of luck on Monday’s night and I hope he can win it.”

  “That  will be good  not only for him but Nigerian football,” added Amuneke, scorer of  cup -winning goals for Nigeria at Tunisia 1994 AFCON  and Atlanta’96 Olympic Football Tournament ‘s Gold medal.   

Already, CAF has announced the presence of several renowned guests who will join the nominees in celebrating the excellence and remarkable achievements of African football.  

Among the prestigious guests who have confirmed their presence are football legends, music and art celebrities and prestigious names from other sporting disciplines, including Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Abedi Pele (Ghana), El Hadji Diouf (Senegal), Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Jay-Jay Okocha (Nigeria), Jonathan Pitroipa (Burkina Faso), Kalusha Bwalya (Zambia), Ahmed Hassan (Egypt), Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria), Patrick Mboma (Cameroon), Mikel Obi (Nigeria), Onome Ebi(Nigeria) , Mercy Akide (Nigeria), among others.  

• Nigerian ace upbraided over Juve gesture 

Serie A giants Napoli are keen on making sure that Victor Osimhen signs a new deal at the club by the end of 2023.

The Partenopei have been attempting to hand the Nigerian a new deal for some time now, but no progress seems to have been made so far.

But Il Mattino (via TMW) have reported that optimism is filtering through the club about a renewal. 13 meetings have previously taken place but no decisive move has taken place but Aurelio de Laurentiis is now hoping that the optimism can lead to a renewal by the end of 2023.

De Laurentiis has decided to hold a joint meeting with Osimhen and his agent together, as he looks to change words to action and the club’s goal is to commit Osimhen to the Partenopei till the summer of 2027. No progress has been made but the club believe that it will be made soon, with the player expected to earn about €10 million per season in the new deal.

Meanwhile,  has been criticised by La Gazzetta dello Sport for reminding  Juventus supporters of their 5-1 loss against the Partenopei from last season.

Napoli suffered a 1-0 loss against Juventus in Turin on Friday and an Osimhen moment after the game went viral. It showed the Nigeria international raise his hands to make a 5-1 gesture towards Juventus fans at the Allianz Stadium, but according to Gazzetta, it’s something the 24-year-old should have avoided.

Read Also: 2023 CAF AWARDS: Osimhen, Oshoala in final Top 3

Journalist Marco Ciriello wrote that Osimhen’s gesture was proof of “The tendency to live in the past and create a bubble which isolates from the present.

 “When Osimhen mimics a 5-1 win, he is defending himself, pleasing himself and the fans and holding on to an event of the past in a present that doesn’t go quite well,” the journalist continued.

 “Osimhen can be excused because of his age and because of the frustration of not scoring (in two months), but when you mention the past after a defeat, you show all your weaknesses.

 “It is clear that Napoli are lost in memories in a continuous evocation of the past that embraces the present and never leaves space for it. It is not by remembering the games of the past that Napoli will win the title again because if you keep thinking about the past, the future will never come.”

The defending Serie A champions are now 14 points below table leaders Inter. They have lost three games from four under new coach Walter Mazzarri, who replaced Rudi Garcia during the November break.

Victor Osimhen  and  Asisat Oshoala have made the final Top 3 nominees for the CAF Player of the Year for both men and women.

CAF announced  yesterday  that Napoli striker Osimhen will have to contend with Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Liverpool as well as Ashraf Hakimi of Morocco and PSG for the men’s top award.

Nwankwo Kanu was the last Nigeria star to win this prestigious award in 1999 with other winners  been Rashidi Yekini(1993), Emmanuel Amuneke(1994) and Victor Ikpeba(1997).

Oshoala is also gunning for a record-extending sixth CAF Award top prize.

Read Also: Obaseki hails Edo-born Napoli striker, Osimhen, on AIC footballer-of-the-year award

However, she has to be voted ahead of South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana and Barbara Banda from Zambia to achieve this milestone.

The other Nigerian interest  in the prestigious continental awards  is that of Super Falcons’ goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie  who made the final three of the  Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year  where she will slug it out with Khadija Er-Rmichi of Morocco and Andile Dlamini of South Africa.

The ultimate winner of each category is decided following votes from a panel consisting of CAF Technical Committee, media professionals from Member Associations, Head Coaches & Captains of Member Associations and clubs involved in the group stages of the Interclub competitions.

The Awards Gala will take place on Monday, 11 December 2023, at the Palais des Congrès, Movenpick, Marrakech, Morocco at 19H00 local time

Former Super Eagles captain Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha has tipped Victor Osimhen to be named CAF Player of the Year for 2023 after his exploits with his Italian club Napoli.

Osimhen, 24, was top scorer in Serie A as Napoli won the Italian league last season for the first time since 1990.

Okocha said Osimhen’s consistency at the highest level has won him the prestigious gong.

“He (Osimhen) deserves it because for me, he was the most consistent player of last season,” remarked the former PSG midfield star.

Nwankwo Kanu was the last Nigeria star to win the CAF Player of the Year Award in 1999.

The CAF Awards ceremony will be staged on Monday, December 11 in Marrakesh, Morocco.

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In a related development, Osimhen has yet underlined the importance of collective team’s efforts  as he eulogized his Napoli teammates  on receiving the Serie A Player of the Year award at the Gran Gal del Calcio held in Milan on Monday.

 “The people that know me know that I don’t try to get all the praises to myself. For me personally, I’m a team player, and I believe if I could share this award, I will share it with Kvaratskhelia and the rest of my teammates because we deserve it,” Osimhen said.

“We were instrumental to each other towards last season’s success. This award goes to the rest of my teammates, the ones that are here and the ones that are not here.

“It also goes to Mr Spalletti, De Laurentiis, and everyone that works in Napoli. The fans deserve it, and this award represents the whole of Napoli. I’m proud to win this, and it is the most important thing for me now.”

Nigeria international striker Victor Osimhen has dedicated the Serie A Player of the Year Award for the 2022/2023 season to his family and friends. 

The 24-year-old forward was officially crowned as the Italian Footballers’ Association (AIC) Footballer of the Year after a marvellous season in front of goal for Napoli at the AIC Oscar del Calcio Awards late on Monday night. 

Reacting to his latest achievement on his Instagram page, Osimhen thanked the award organisers  for his selection with kind words for his family and legion of fans, saying: “Thank you @grangadelcalcioaic for the recognition and awards, thank you my family, friends  and supporters for your votes and unending support. God is the Greatest.”

Expectedly, congratulatory messages have since poured  in for the award-winning striker from his present and former Super Eagles teammates that include Taiwo Awoniyi,  Simy Nwankwo, Moses Simon, Odion Ighalo, Onazi Ogenyi, Kingsley Micheal, Troost- Ekong, Victor Boniface, among many other friends and fans,   

The AIC awards, which began in 1968, include several notable accolades, amongst which are the Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Club of the Year and Goal of the Season. 

After leading the line in the Partenopei’s first title-winning season in 33 years, Osimhen and his teammates were recognised across various categories. 

Read Also: Chelsea may lure Osimhen with ‘crazy deal’

The most prestigious award of the night and the last to be handed out was the Player of the Year, which had previously been awarded to the likes of Rafael Leao, Gianluigi Buffon, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrea Prilo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

Osimhen was selected as the 2023 winner, largely thanks to his goalscoring contributions. During Napoli’s Scudetto-winning campaign, the Nigerian found the net on 26 occasions from 32 Serie A appearances. 

Despite a tougher start to the 2023-24 campaign and recent struggles with injury, Osimhen has continued his impressive goals-per-game ratio, with six from 10 after the 14th game week.

The on today, off tomorrow transfer deal for Nigeria international striker  Victor Osimhen took another turn over the weekend with discordant talks by Napoli boss Aurelio Des Laurentiis and a credible Italian football expert.

While Laurentiis claimed Osimhen is set to sign new contract that would keep him at the Diego Maradona Stadium for a longer time, reputed transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano said Chelsea can still land the Nigerian goal machine with a ‘crazy bid’ in the January Transfer Window.

The Super Eagles ace  is being chased by some of the biggest clubs in Europe after dazzling in Serie A and the Blues are very keen on him.

Mauricio Pochettino has hinted in recent interviews that Chelsea are indeed looking to sign a new striker, and that is no surprise given their lacklustre start to the season.

Before yesterday’s 3-2 win against Brighton, the London club have won just four of their 13 Premier League matches.

Summer striker signing Nicolas Jackson has scored six goals in 12 league appearances. Christopher Nkunku is yet to feature due to injury but is expected to return soon.

Read Also: EPL: Ten-man Chelsea hold on to beat Brighton

By contrast, Osimhen has scored six goals in nine Serie A appearances before late  night clash against  Inter. Last term, he scored a stunning 26 goals in 32 league outings.

Several centre-forwards have been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge recently but Osimhen has long been considered to be their top target.

Osimhen has been linked with a move to the Premier League and both Chelsea and Arsenal are understood to be keen on signing a new No 9 in the January transfer window.

However, their hopes of signing the 24-year-old, whose current Napoli deal expires in 2025, could soon be dashed.

Speaking at an event in Naples, De Laurentiis said: “With Osimhen, we are about to sign the contract that was pending this summer.”

Top transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Victor Osimhen is clear he wishes to quit Napoli and so will not renew his contract. Osimhen’s contract is up in June 2025.

He is clear he wishes to exit the Serie A champions.

“For Victor Osimhen, it’s essential to clarify, as I have consistently mentioned since September, there’s no agreement between Napoli and Osimhen for a new contract,” Romano said in Kick streaming platform.

“He’s only contracted till June 2025, and my sources are quite clear Osimhen is not inclined to sign a new deal at Napoli.

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“That’s the current status as of today. Football is unpredictable, but the current stance appears firm – Osimhen won’t be renewing there.”

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis had been confident he has a gentleman’s agreement with the Osimhen camp the striker will extend his contract by two years.

Lately, Osimhen has been linked to several top Premier League clubs including Chelsea and Liverpool.

• Chelsea prepare millions for Nigerian ace, Boniface

Despite being a second half substitute in Napoli’s 2-1 win over Atalanta at the weekend, Victor Osimhen may be given a starting line-up by coach Walter Mazzarri when the Italian defending champions visit Real Madrid today in the UEFA Champions League.

According to the possible line-up published  ahead of today’s clash, Osimhen might replace Giacomo Raspadori up front at the Bernabeu.

Osimhen who played without his mask for the first time at the weekend was instrumental to Napoli’s triumph away to Atalanta and  will  reportedly be considered by the new coach who has firm belief in the ability of the Nigerian ace.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that they are bent on topping the group despite the injuries that have ravaged his team.

“We have many injuries for the game, but it is more important to think about what we have than those we don’t have available. If we are capable of being at a good level with these problems, it means that our squad is of a very high quality.”

Read Also: Senegalese Koulibaliy to help Chelsea land Osimhen

He added: “Tomorrow’s (today) game is very important. It allows us the opportunity to guarantee top spot in this group stage. We want to play at the best level we possibly can.” 

In a related development, Chelsea wish to turn their Premier League season around and so are prepared to bring out the cash to sign  Osimhen and his Napoli teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January.

According to the British tabloid The Daily Mirror, fellow Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface, who has been doing big things at Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, is also on the Chelsea long wish list of strikers.

Osimhen has yet to extend his contract with Napoli and that has allowed other top clubs to keep their interest in the 24-year-old striker.

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is Chelsea’s top target in attack with former Blues and Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly  reportedly connecting the Nigeria international and Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Osimhen, last season’s Serie A top scorer with 26 goals, is one of the most sought-after forwards in the world but Napoli have been working for several months to extend his contract at the Stadio Maradona beyond 2025.

The 24-year-old is not expected to pen a new deal soon and according to The Telegraph Chelsea will make life even more difficult for the Partenopei given that they have made Osimhen their top transfer target in attack.

Read Also: FULL LIST: CAF releases women’s category shortlist

According to The Telegraph ,the Blues are ready to invest more than £100m in the Nigerian striker making an attempt to sign him even in January even if Napoli are unlikely to sell in the winter transfer window.

It is reported that former Napoli and Chelsea defender Koulibaly, a close friend of Osimhen is connecting the Partenopei star and Chelsea and could ease negotiations between the striker and the Premier League side.

Osimhen could become the most expensive signing in the Premier League’s history, overtaking Enzo Fernandez who moved to Stamford Bridge for £106.8m, circa €122m in January 2023.