The reigning African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, is on a mission to transform the suffering of Nigerian supporters into joy with the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations title.
The Napoli forward topped the African poll last month to finish ahead of Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Moroccan Achraf Hakimi, ending Nigeria 25 years of waiting to produce African best footballer after Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.
It was a reward for helping his club to a first Italian title in 33 years and also scoring consistently for the Super Eagles.
But amid the club and personal successes there was also sadness for the 24-year-old, who could not rescue his country from losing Qatar 2022 World Cup ticket to arch rivals Ghana in front of their teeming fans at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on March 29, 2022.
The day that has continued haunting Osimhen. “We let them down,” Osimhen admitted in an AFP report.
“They roared us on from the first whistle to the last. The noise they created was deafening. but we let them down and that hurt. Nigerians deserved better.”
Now Osimhen believes he has the perfect antidote to the lingering suffering of supporters – Nigeria must win the biennial Cup of Nations a fourth time.
The Super Eagles triumphed at home in 1980, slamming three unanswered goals past Algeria, then edged Zambia 2-1 in Tunis in 1994 and Burkina Faso 1-0 in Johannesburg in 2013.
Since overcoming the Burkinabe, Nigeria have been on a Cup of Nations rollercoaster, failing to qualify in 2015 and 2017, finishing third in 2019 and making a last-16 departure two years ago.
Paired with Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea in the first round in Group A, Nigeria are expected to contest first place with the hosts.
“We are capable of winning this tournament because the squad is packed with players who are performing exceptionally well for their European clubs,” says Osimhen.
“All of us are desperate to make up for failing to reach the 2022 World Cup. The only way we can achieve that goal is by winning the Cup of Nations.”
Ivory Coast, twice champions but flops when they previously hosted the tournament 40 years ago, have no shortage of stars and Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi says “they are the team to beat”.
