All you need to know about Nigerian striker and CAF Player of The Year (Male Category) Victor Osimhen can be accessed on The Herald.
Osimhen’s breakthrough moment came in 2015 when he led the Nigerian U-17 team to victory in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he was awarded the Golden Boot and the Silver Ball. This performance caught the attention of various European clubs, and he eventually signed for Wolfsburg in Germany in 2017.
Despite struggling at Wolfsburg, he found his footing during a loan spell at Charleroi in Belgium, scoring 20 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions. His exploits took him to Lille in 2019 before eventually being snapped up by Napoli in 2020 for €70 million.
Osimhen has also represented the Nigerian national team at various levels, making his debut for the senior team in 2017. He has since established himself as a key player for the Super Eagles, scoring several crucial goals in their qualification campaigns for major tournaments
Osimhen is known for his physical strength, pace, and clinical finishing, which makes him a nightmare for opposition defenders. He is also proficient in the air and possesses excellent dribbling and ball control skills, making him a complete striker.
Below Are Amazing Things You Didn’t Know About CAF African Men’s Footballer Of The Year 2023, Victor Osimhen
1. Victor Osimhen won the Serie A Player of the 2022/23 season award at the AIC Oscar del Calcio Awards last week and won the CAF African men’s player of the year 2023 yesterday.
2. His middle name is James, born on 29th December 1998 (Age 25 now). Victor was the last of the six children. His parents are from Esan S.E LGA of Edo State. He grew up alongside his brother Andrew and 4 other siblings in Olusosun, a small community around Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.
3. He hawked sachet water and other commodities in the streets of Lagos with his siblings for family survival.
4. He was once managed by his father, Late Pa Patrick Osimhen. In 2015, Pa Patrick (who d!ed in May, 2020) handed over to French agent, Oliver Noah, of Noga Sports Management.
5. Osimhen has an interesting story behind the meaning of his last name. In the native Ishan language, his family surname “Osimhen” means “God is good.”
6. When he broke out with the youth team, Wolfsburg registered their interest in the striker. Osimhen was transferred from Ultimate Striker Academy, a local club in Lagos, to German club VfL Wolfsburg for $3,970,225 on January 1, 2017.
7. Osimhen was an integral part of the Nigerian side that won the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile. His 10 goals in seven games at the tournament and his incredible goalscoring record coming into the tournament made heads turn all across the globe. He finished the tournament as the highest goalscorer, winning the Golden Boot along with the Silver Ball for his standout performances while also setting a new scoring record at the FIFA U17 World Cup, as his 10 goals in seven matches broke the long-standing record of 9 goals in a single tournament previously held jointly by Frenchman Florent Sinama Pongolle and Ivorian Souleymane Coulibaly.
8. Victor Osimhen has other talents – music for example – and likes rap music. One of his favourite artistes is Olamide, and his favourite song is “Sitting on the Throne” by Olamide.
9. His idol and source of inspiration is Ivorian, Didier Drogba, because according to him “Drogba is the type of player who doesn’t give up, and who possesses fighting spirit.
10. Arsène Wenger attempted to bring Victor to the Emirates, and although Osimhen admitted it was an honour to have Arsenal show an interest in him, he instead opted to join Wolfsburg as he felt it was the best place for him to further his career.
11. Before the 2019/2020 Ligue 1 season was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Osimhen had scored an impressive 18 goals in 38 games which earned him the Marc-Vivien Foe award for the best African player in Ligue 1, an award presented by Radio France International (RFI).