Napoli and Nigeria striker, Victor Osimhen, received the Marc-Vivien Foe Award dedicated to African players, 3 years after it was scheduled to be received due to the restrictions of the Corona epidemic.
The Napoli star received the award on the sidelines of his participation with his country in the African Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
Osimhen was scheduled to receive the award in 2020, but he was unable to do so due to Corona virus restrictions, as he headed to Naples in the summer after his outstanding season in France.
Osimhen, 25 years old, played a football season in the French First Division with Lille (2019-2020), where he scored 18 goals in 38 matches he played for the French club before the rest of the competitions were canceled due to the spread of the Corona epidemic.
Osimhen outperformed Moses Simon, Denis Bouanga, Andy Delort, and Islam Slimani, in addition to the Rennes trio of Mbaye Niang, Hamare Traoré, and Edouard Mendy.
Finally 🏆
Following his inability to collect the prize due to COVID. The winner of the 2020 Marc-Vivien Foé prize @victorosimhen9 collected his prize in Abidjan 👏🏿 https://t.co/7ZRlc7zOjP pic.twitter.com/uxaqIorUcu
— Oluwashina Okeleji (@oluwashina) January 20, 2024
The Marc-Vivien Foy Award is an award named after the late Marc-Vivien Foy, the player who died on the field while playing for Cameroon in the Confederations Cup in 2003.
The award is usually given to the best player who represents an African national football team in the French First Division.
Osimhen is the second Nigerian to receive the Marc-Vivien Foye Award after Vincent Enyeama won it with Lille in the 2013-2014 season.
No African has scored more club goals in all comps than Victor Osimhen considering Europe’s elite leagues this season.
Goal no. 18 for Lille. pic.twitter.com/Tu5wIBDjdX
— Soar Super Eagles (@SSE_NGA) February 16, 2020
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Gervinho, Nicolas Pepe, Andre Ayew, and Jean-Michael Seri also won the award.
Osimhen was crowned the best African player award last year (2023), after his distinguished performances with Napoli last season.
Osimhen scored 26 goals in the Italian Premier League last season, won the “top scorer” award, and contributed influentially to Napoli winning the local championship title, for the third time in the club’s history, and the first since the 1989-1990 season.
Osimhen renewed his contract with Napoli last month, until June 30, 2026.
The Nigerian player's market value is estimated at 110 million euros, based on data from the global Transfer Market website.
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