Nigeria Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, days after being nominated for the Ballon d’Or, has been nominated for the 2023 The Best FIFA award, www.aclsports.com reports.
The 24-year-old had an unforgettable season with Napoli, leading them to their first Scudetto win in 31 years and has been racking up the nominations individually.
In the 12-man The Best shortlist released by the world’s football governing body FIFA on Thursday, Osimhen, who won the Serie A Golden Boot, is competing with other top stars for the prize.
The striker became the first African to win the Golden Boot in Serie A history with a record 26 league goals scored in a single season. He was also named the Serie A Best Striker for the 2022/23 season as well as made the Serie A Team of the Season.
On Sunday, Osimhen reached double figures in the AFCON Qualifiers and finished as the top scorer after his hat trick against Sao Tome and Principe. He is also the only African in the final shortlist.
Some of the players nominated alongside Osimhen for The Best gong include favourite Lionel Messi, Paris Saint-Germain’s star Kylian Mbappe, Manchester City’s treble winner Erling Haaland and his teammate, Rodri.
Others include; Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, another City’s quartet of Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez, IIkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, and former Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, complete the 12-man official shortlist.
The qualification period for the Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 runs from 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023 (it does not include the FIFA World Cup 2022). The public can vote for their top three choices on FIFA website.
Meanwhile, Osimhen, who was close to leaving during the transfer window in the summer, will return to action with Napoli this weekend when they face Genoa in the Serie A at the Luigi Ferraris on Saturday night.
