The PUNCH reports that Osimhen was among 30 players listed for the CAF African Player of the Year 2023 which was announced by the confederation on Wednesday.
The Awards Gala is scheduled for December 11 in Marrakech, Morocco.
However, speaking to NAN, Mohammed explained that Osimhen had worked hard in the year under review to earn his place in both Africa and the world football top rankings.
Osimhen also made history for Nigeria and Africa by finishing in an impressive eighth position in the 2023 Men’s Ballon d’Or rankings on Monday. He became the first Nigerian to be nominated and finished in the top 10 in the male category in 24 years.
Nigerian football veteran Kanu Nwankwo finished 11th in the 1996 Ballon d’Or ranking, and 23rd in the 1999 edition of the awards.
By finishing in eighth place, the prolific goal-scorer has not only established a new record as the top-ranked Nigerian player at the Ballon d’Or but also as the highest-ranked African player at this year’s event.
“I think he has done enough to win the Africa Player of the Year Award. He deserves it, especially after finishing eighth on the Ballon d’Or list.
“Osimhen was in fine form in the 2022/2023 season, as his 25 league goals helped Italian football royalty Napoli to their first Seria A title in 33 years.
“He pipped Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao to clinch the Best Striker in Serie A gong.
“Osimhen scored five times in six games for Napoli as they reached the quarterfinal stages of the UEFA Champions League,” he said.
According to Mohammed, Osimhen played a crucial role in securing a spot for the Super Eagles in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Mohammed also pointed out that Osimhen’s impressive performance in the league allowed him to become the first African player to lead the Serie A scoring chart and surpass George Weah’s record for the highest number of goals scored by an African in the Italian league.
However, the football administrator acknowledged that while Osimhen was certainly deserving of the CAF Men’s Award, there are other factors to consider.
He mentioned that emotions sometimes come into play in the African awards, so it’s difficult to predict the outcome, and there have been surprising results in the past.
“The World Cup tournament is seen as the biggest platform, and Nigeria couldn’t qualify for the showpiece in Qatar.
“Osimhen’s greatest challenge may likely come from Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi who won a title with his club and went all the way to the World Cup semi-finals with his country, which is massive.
“Then there is also Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez, who won the treble with Manchester City, including the English Premier League, the FA Cup, and the UEFA Champions League.
“You also have to consider the sharp regional divide and vested interest. The Anglophone and Francophone dichotomy has always been in existence, so that is another factor from the political angle.
“But having said that, I still strongly believe that what Osimhen has achieved is incredible, and he deserves to win it,” he added.
