Victor Osimhen was given a special shirt and ball by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) in recognition of his outstanding performance for Napoli in the 2022–23 season.
For the first time in 33 years, Napoli won the Scudetto thanks in large part to Osimhen. The 24-year-old scored 26 goals and dished out four assists in 32 league outings for the Partenopei.
In six games for his team in the UEFA Champions League, the striker also netted five goals. Osimhen became the first African to win the Serie A top scorer honour.
The Nigerian forward, who had been rumoured to be leaving Italy, was also awarded best forward and was a member of the season’s all-star team.
FIFA gifted him the aforementioned souvenirs and wrote thus on social media to commemorate the gesture;
Victor Osimhen, you represent at the moment what football can do. FIFA wrote in a message to the player.
From Lagos to Napoli where people love you, you have suffered, but your love for football and determination have guided you. Keep going, keep pushing. Africa needs examples and millions are watching and dreaming.
Osimhen started his senior career in Germany in 2017 with VfL Wolfsburg. After spending a season and a half with the team, he moved on loan to Charleroi in Belgium in 2018–19 before joining Lille in France.
With the French club, he played his first game of European football in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League. Osimhen moved to Serie A team Napoli in 2020 for a club-record €70 million.
In the 2021–22 season, he was named the Best Young Player in Serie A. He now holds the record for the most goals scored by an African in a single season and is the best goal-scorer among Africans in Serie A.
In 2015, Osimhen was given the FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Boot award, which Nigeria won. He participated in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and made his senior international debut in June 2017. He presently ranks eighth all-time among Nigeria’s national team’s goal scorers.
 in recognition){kind=link}