Osimhen, Salah, Hakimi make 2023 CAF Men’s Player of the year top-three shortlist

Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen alongside Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi have made the 2023 CAF Men’s Player of the year top-three shortlist.

This is according to official communication by the Confederation of African Football [CAF] via its X handle on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

Current award holder, Sadio Mane of Senegal is one of the seven names cut from the top-ten earlier released by CAF for the annual awards.

Nigerian International, Victor Osimhen is a strong contender for the award in recognition of his superlative performance to help Italian Serie A club, Napoli win their first Serie A title in 33 years.

Osimhen scored 26 goals during the season to finish as the top-scorer in Italy’s top-flight.

Ahead of the CAF Player of the Year battle with former winner, Mohammed Salah and Psg full-back, Achraf Hakimi, Osimhen finished as the highest ranked african footballer [8th] at the 2023 Ballon D’or awards ceremony.

If he wins the award, the Napoli striker will etch his name in history as the first Nigerian since Kanu Nwankwo in 1999 to claim the coveted award.

Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amuneke, and Victor Ikpeba are the only other Nigerians to have previously been named the best player on the continent. Kanu, however, remains the only one to have won the award more than once.

The winner of the 2023 CAF Men’s Player of the Year is set to unfold at the CAF Awards Gala on Monday, December 11, 2023, at the Palais des Congrès, Movenpick, Marrakech, Morocco.