By Victor Enyinnaya on December 18, 2023

Nigeria was at the centre stage during the last ceremony of Confederation of African Football, (CAF) held in Morocco recently. The exercise no doubt was so significant for Nigeria as her footballers and Women football team, Super Falcons picked vital awards from the apex football governing body in the continent.

Let it be on record that Daily Sports team has long sent felicitations to these footballers and Super Falcons team on the feat they achieved.  It brought to the fore the great good old days of Nigerian football, when the country was a force to be reckoned with in the continent. Those days her players were talk of the town in their respective foreign clubs where they zealously ply their trades.  Sadly, such golden era vanished and remained elusive until Victor Oshinmen, the girls and Super Falcons team broke the jinx recently.

This week’s column is solely focusing on Victor Oshinmen of Napoli Italy and Nigerian international, who we all know how he came to the limelight via his invitation and exploits in the U-17 team coached by equally former international and also one time Africa Player of the Year, Emmanuel Amuneke. He was like any of the lads who represented Nigeria in that football summit category at the World level.

He has been there, resilient, determined and focused too to excel in his chosen career. He changed the course of history in his life and family through football.  Victor Osimhen was a well known young boy hawker in Olusesan area of Lagos.  He was not ashamed when he emphatically declared same to a well published interview with the media. That showed he was not born with silver spoon in his mouth. He worked so hard for his today’s success.  In short, he earned it. He has not also failed to pay tributes to people who one way or the other assisted or gave him one piece of advice that helped him on his way to this stardom. I must note that the young lad is humble dripping which some of his Super Eagles teammates have spoken about.

 He is a classical role model to his peers and sundry.   He has worked hard over these years and his stay in Napoli marked the watershed in the history of the Italian giant. He changed the narrative for the best for the club. It is safe to say that since he joined the Italian giant team, the fortunates of the club through his diligence became its old safe and instantly its activities became upbeat in every game.

From records, Victor Osimhen has come a long way and through thick and tin he worked himself out of the tight and rough lonely roads he traveled during his early years until he was discovered to lace his boots for the Golden Eaglets, the country’s national U-17 team.  His exploits on the field of play has simply been impressive and enduring. His consistency remains par excellence. Therefore, one was never surprised when he was finally announced as the continent’s Football King of the Year by the high command of CAF after her selection team.  

The Nigerian international dusted other hot favorites’ for the crown.  It was a tight exercise as the Moroccan and the Senegalese former holder was smoky too during the period  but the Nigerians came top at the end of the day to be so crowned. The leggy lad has much on his shoulders presently as many children all over the World would further see him as their role model. Victor Osimhen has proved that “the magic is in you and only you hold yourself.”

He also brought to the fore that God gave everyone his strongest point or if you like comparative advantage over others without any prejudice. The Nigerian international has simply set the tone.  He never allowed his upbringing or how he started in life deterred him from exploring deeper into his future. Now see where such doggedness has led him presently. If you said he is insightful you are not off point. He decisively listened to his inner self and obeyed.

He remains significant to Nigeria that climbed that prestigious podium last since 1999 when Kanu Nwankwo got his second award.  Again, Osimhen opened his new chapter beginning from where Nwankwo closed the old chapter.

Nigerian football ought to remain better and stronger, if things are done right and tailored to the right frame of best practices. Nigeria has players who have been competing head to head with their counterparts in their respective clubs all over the globe and as such her national team ought to be managed by first rate coach that would vividly harness the talented players to reach their optimum at World Cup level.      

 Victor Osimhen is a study in character. One must note instructively here that the Napoli and Super Eagles lad has proved that with a will, there always a way. The way and manner he turned Napoli team around and brought the side to further limelight remains dripping in the minds of even critical analysts that follow his career.

The selectors who crowned Africa Footballer of the Year Award were so apt and so objective in this process. It has further and truly confirmed my curiosity that these men vested with this all important assignment do their job independently. It also showed that exploits of players in their various national teams were not enough ground to climb or clinch the coveted attainment in continental football.

This new chapter by a current player of the Super Eagles no doubt would impact handsomely on the team, whose moral in recent time has been all time low due largely to below standard performances. Nigeria will also be going into next year’s Africa Cup of nation’s football tournament with Africa’s best player in her line up, no doubt a blasting moral booster on good sphere. The Super Falcons that were at the last Women World Cup without any equivocation changed the narrative which announced that Super Falcons have come!

This columnist would not drop the curtain without paying glowing tribute and thumbs up to Super Falcons team and her players Asisat Oshoala, veteran of many standing and game changer any time for her yet again another stage that kept shinning brightly over the team these years. We saw the moments she played at the last Women World Cup aside from the opponents being distablised but also their technical benches panicked upon sighting her in. She has paid her dues duly to put it mildly.

Another gladdening is Chiamaka Nnadozie, the   eagle eyed goal tender whose agility was disarmingly buoyant to aid the Super Falcons that far.

Little wonder therefore, she was recognised by CAF to reward for hard work, diligence, determination, focus and sundry that brought the continent closer to the World  that African Women football has arrived and so must be assisted to grow further fast.

As we anchor thus far this week, we urge our dear loyal readers to keep shooting hard till next week, meanwhile, we wait!!

Source Daily Sports Nigeria

Posted December 18, 2023

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