Ex footballer reveals Super Eagles star who should succeed Osimhen as African best

• Napoli star Victor Osimhen is the reigning African Footballer of the Year after winning it last year
• Osimhen scooped the coveted award after helping Napoli win their first Serie A title in 30 years
• A former Nigerian footballer and coach has tipped Ademola Lookman to succeed his compatriot

A former Nigerian footballer has named the Super Eagles star who should succeed Victor Osimhen as the African Footballer of the Year after a fantastic season.

Osimhen won the award at an event in Marrakech, Morocco, in December after helping Napoli win their first-ever Serie A title since the Diego Maradona-inspired 1989/90 season.

Victor Osimhen dancing with the Ghetto Kids after winning the 2023 CAF Best Award. Photo by STR.
Source: Getty Images

The Napoli star is not in contention for this year's award after he had an underwhelming title defence season, with the Neapolitans finishing ninth, one of the worst by a defending champion in Italy.

Olorunleke tips Lookman for African best

Former Nigerian footballer and Bagnolese head coach Matthew Olorunleke believes Ademola Lookman should succeed Osimhen as the African Footballer of the Year.

“Lookman is in form and on fire. He did well last season in the Serie A. He was also great at the Africa Nations Cup and he helped Atalanta win the Europa League," Olorunleke said as quoted by ANS.

Despite tipping the Atalanta star for CAF Best, he admitted that he is far from getting highly rated in the Ballon d'Or ranking, where Osimhen finished eighth last year.

“Becoming world player of the year is not just about what you do on the pitch; it also includes the image you create off it. When we talk about World Footballer of the Year, we talk about a brand. Football is now more than just playing the game,” he added.

He contributed to 27 goals in all competitions and wrapped the season up with a hat trick in the UEFA Europa League final, and as noted by uefa.com, he was the first player to do so in the competition.

Another worthy candidate for the award is Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface who helped the club win the Bundesliga.

Atalanta furious at Lookman

Legit.ng reported that Atalanta are furious with Lookman over his desire to leave the club and join Paris Saint-Germain after the French club approached his representative two days ago.

Lookman reportedly asked to be left out of the matchday squad for the opening day 4-0 win over Lecce to think about his future, a move with which the club's hierarchy is displeased.

Source: Legit.ng