CAF Awards 2023: Osimhen Battles Mahrez, Salah, Mane For Top Prize

Super Eagles and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen, has been nominated for the 2023 CAF Men Player of the Year award.

Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, Achraf Hakimi and Hakim Ziyech are among the other top nominees for the award.

The 24-year-old was instrumental to Napoli’s success last season, as the club won Serie A for the first time in 33 years. Osimhen also won the Golden Boot, scoring 26 goals and becoming the highest-scoring African in the league. He was also named the best striker in the league.

Osimhen is the favourite to win this year’s edition of the prestigious award.

He is hoping to become the first Nigerian to win the award since Nwankwo Kanu claimed the prize in 1996.

At the 2023 Ballon d’Or award held on Monday, Osimhen ranked 8th on the men’s list, thus becoming the highest-ranked Nigerian player ever.

Gent of Belgium forward Gift Orban is also nominated for the Young Player of the Year award.

The Awards Gala is scheduled for December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco.

Full List of Nominees

Victor Osimhen (Nigeria and SSC Napoli)

Ramy Bensebaini (Algeria and Borussia Dortmund)

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria and Al Ahli)

Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso and Bayer Leverkusen)

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon and SSC Napoli)

Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon and Besiktas)

Ibrahima Sangare (Cote d’Ivoire and Nottingham Forest)

Seko Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire and Al Nassr)

Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo and Olympique Marseille)

Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Pyramids)

Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt and Ahly)

Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)

Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)

Mohammed Kudus (Ghana and West Ham United)

Thomas Partey (Ghana and Arsenal)

Serhou Guirassy (Guinea and VfB Stuttgart)

Yves Bissouma (Mali and Tottenham Hotspur)

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain)

Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco and Olympique Marseille)

Hakim Ziyech (Morocco and Galatasaray)

Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco and Manchester United)

Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)

Yassine Bounou (Morocco and Al Hilal)

Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco and Sevilla)

Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)

Sadio Mane (Senegal and Al Nassr)

Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Tottenham Hotspur)

Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)

Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Ferencvaros).