Napoli and Super Eagles top striker Victor Osimhen has arrived Marrakesh Monday for tonight’s CAF Player of the Year Award.
And Nigerians are hopeful he would win the title and break a 24 years jinx of Nigerian players not having their names etched into the list of winners. Osimhen competed with Liverpool and Egypt’s Mohammed Salah and Achraft Hakimi of PSG and Morocco.
Nwankwo Kanu was the Nigerian player to win the CAF Awards since 1999, despite having players like Austin Jay Jay Okocha and John Mikel Obi who made a difference with their club and country.
Osimhen’s main resume for the award this year was him spearheading Napoli’s charge towards winning the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years. Osimhen also emerged top scorer of the league breaking George Weah’s record of most goals by any African player in the Serie A.
In the women’s side of the awards Asisat Oshoala is contention for her sixth title after helping Barcelona women to win the Spanish League and the UEFA Champions League success last season.
Quick guide to past winners
Women’s Player of the Year
2001 Mercy Akide (Nigeria)
2002 Alberta Sackey (Ghana)
2003 Adjoa Bayor (Ghana)
2004 Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria)
2005 Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria)
2006 Cynthia Uwak (Nigeria)
2007 Cynthia Uwak (Nigeria)
2008 Noko Matlou (South Africa)
2009 Not awarded
2010 Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria)
2011 Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria)
2012 Genoveva Anonmam (Equatorial Guinea)
2013 Not awarded
2014 Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)
2015 Gaëlle Enganamouit (Cameroon)
2016 Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)
2017 Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)
2018 Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa)
2019 Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)
2020 Not awarded due to COVID-19
2021 Not awarded due to COVID-19
2022 Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria)
Men’s Player of the Year
1992 Abedi Ayew Pele (Ghana)
1993 Rashidi Yekini (Nigeria)
1994 Emmanuel Amunike (Nigeria)
1995 George Weah (Liberia)
1996 Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
1997 Victor Ikpeba (Nigeria)
1998 Mustapha Hadji (Morocco)
1999 Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)
2000 Patrick Mboma (Cameroon)
2001 El-Hadji Diouf (Senegal)
2002 El Hadji Diouf (Senegal)
2003 Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
2004 Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
2005 Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
2006 Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire)
2007 Frederic Kanoute (Mali)
2008 Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo)
2009 Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire)
2010 Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
2011 Yaya Toure (Côte d’Ivoire)
2012 Yaya Toure (Côte d’Ivoire)
2013 Yaya Toure (Côte d’Ivoire)
2014 Yaya Toure (Côte d’Ivoire)
2015 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)
2016 Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
2017 Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
2018 Mohamed Salah (Egypt)
2019 Sadio Mane (Senegal)
2020 Not awarded due to COVID-19
2021 Not awarded due to COVID-19
2022 Sadio Mane (Senegal)