The year 2023 ended wonderfully for Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen. A boy who grew up poor in Lagos slums is now Africa’s best footballer. Osimhen beat football stars like Salah and Hakim to win his first CAF African Player of the Year trophy. His Amazing story inspires all young African footballers with big dreams.
Victor was born in 1998 to struggling parents with five other children. Playing football on the streets of the Oregun suburb was his only joy as a child. His talent and hard work took him from the local Lagos club to German side Wolfsburg at age 18. After time with Lille in France, lightning-fast Osimhen became a scoring machine at Italian giants Napoli last season.
His 26 goals led Napoli to its first Serie A title in 33 years. Victor also helped Nigeria qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. After winning the Golden Boot at the 2015 Under-17 World Cup, he fulfilled his promise. Victor Osimhen’s journey proves that any African kid can rise to the top with dedication. Here are five beautiful facts from the new Golden Boy’s journey from Lagos streets to continental glory:
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1. Youngest of Six Siblings
Victor’s against-the-odds story starts with his humble family background. Born in Lagos as the youngest of six children, his parents struggled to make ends meet. He grew up in Olusosun, a small, impoverished community near Oregun and Ikeja.
Playing football on the dusty streets was an escape from their family’s dire situation for Victor and his brother Andrew. This grounded upbringing instilled a gritty determination in African football’s new poster boy.
2. Record-breaker at 2015 U17 World Cup
Victor’s talents were visible from a very young age. He smashed a long-standing record at the 2015 U17 World Cup in Chile by scoring 10 goals in 7 matches. This was more than legends like Wayne Rooney or Cesc Fabregas managed at that level.
His exploits earned 16-year-old Victor the 2015 CAF Youth Player of the Year award. Top European scouts came calling soon after.
3. Africa’s Most Expensive Player
Victor Osimhen’s goalscoring form at French club Lille soon caught the eye of hungry European predators. After intense speculation, Napoli secured their man in 2020 with an eye-watering €70 million deal, plus €10 million in potential add-ons.
The extraordinary fee made Victor the most expensive African footballer in history at the time; Osimhen’s remains one of the landmark moments showing Europe’s high valuation of African talent.
4. Makes history in Napoli
After short spells with Wolfsburg and Lille, Victor’s meteoric rise reached new heights with Italian giants Napoli. His attacking partnership with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has terrorized Serie A defenses.
with 26 goals in 32 games, Victor’s red-hot form delivered Napoli their first Scudetto in 33 long years, making him the runaway winner as the Italian Players’ Player of the Year.
5. Crowning Glory for 1998 Child Osimhen, 24 Years On
24 years after fellow Nigerian legend Nwankwo Kanu first lifted the CAF African Footballer of the Year trophy, the stars aligned beautifully to see Victor crowned in 2023. In yet another coincidental twist of fate, Victor was born a year before- 1998 December 29 – when Kanu had his previous triumph. By leading Nigeria’s qualification to the 2023 AFCON, Victor fulfilled his destiny to walk in Kanu’s golden boots for club and country.
In Victor Osimhen’s journey from being the youngest of six children in a poor Lagos suburb to African football’s new king, his sheer determination and obsession to perfect his craft despite all odds has clearly shone through.
As Victor now aims to guide Nigeria’s Super Eagles to glory at the 2023 AFCON, his magnificent story of rising from tough streets to the peak of continental football continues to inspire young African kids to dream big.
