CAF Awards 2023: Osimhen Battles Sallah,Mane, Mahrez For Top Spot

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

Other top contenders for the award include Mohamed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, Achraf Hakimi, and Hakim Ziyech.

Last season, the 24-year-old was significant for Napoli's victory, as the club won Serie A for the first time in 33 years. Osimhen also won the Golden Boot after scoring 26 goals and becoming the league's highest-scoring African. He was also named the league's best striker.

Osimhen is the odds-on favorite to win this year's prestigious award.

He hopes to be the first Nigerian to win the award since Nwankwo Kanu did so 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).