Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has been nominated for the Men Player of the Year category in the 2023 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards.
In a statement released by CAF on Wednesday, the Napoli forward was nominated along with Rihad Mahrez of Algeria, Vincent Aboubakar of Cameroon, PSG’s Achrif Hakimi, and Arsenal’s Thomas Partey, among others.
Osimhen, who scored 26 goals for Napoli in the 2022–2023 season, helped the Naples-based team win the Scudetto for the first time since Diego Maradona inspired them to the league title back in 1990.
The Napoli talisman is currently the highest-scoring African in Serie A after breaking George Weah’s record of 46 goals.
The Nigerian international, who is billed by many as a favourite to win the 2023 CAF Player of the Year award, made history as the first Napoli player and Nigerian international to make the top 10 of the Ballon d’Or rankings.
The Super Eagles and Napoli striker is the No. 8 best football player in the world on the 2023 Ballon d’Or list.
The Nigeria international significantly contributed to Napoli’s first Serie A title in 33 years, becoming the 2022–23 top scorer in the league with 26 goals in 32 appearances. Napoli also reached the Champions League quarterfinals last season, the best result for the Partenopei in Europe’s elite competition.
A statement by CAF on Wednesday read, “A panel of CAF Technical Experts, African Football Legends, and selected media representatives from a number of countries put together the preliminary list for the various categories, with the performance of the nominees between November 2022 and September 2023 serving as the period under consideration.”
The CAF Awards 2023 are scheduled for December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Anthony Odiong: Nigerian Catholic priest sentenced to life in prison over sexual assault")