Everything you need to know about Napoli's Nigeria
talisman Victor Osimhen.
Yash
Thakur Goal.com
Victor Osimhen is a Nigerian professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Napoli and the Nigerian national team. Born on December 29, 1998, in Lagos, Nigeria, Osimhen started his football career at the Ultimate Strikers Academy before moving to Europe to play for various clubs.
Osimhen's breakthrough moment came in 2015 when he led the Nigerian U-17 team to victory in the FIFA U-17 World Cup, where he was awarded the Golden Boot and the Silver Ball. This performance caught the attention of various European clubs, and he eventually signed for Wolfsburg in Germany in 2017.
Despite struggling at Wolfsburg, he found his footing during a loan spell at Charleroi in Belgium, scoring 20 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions. His exploits took him to Lille in 2019 before eventually being snapped up by Napoli in 2020 for €70 million.
Osimhen has also represented the Nigerian national team at various levels, making his debut for the senior team in 2017. He has since established himself as a key player for the Super Eagles, scoring several crucial goals in their qualification campaigns for major tournaments
Osimhen is known for his physical strength, pace, and clinical finishing, which makes him a nightmare for opposition defenders. He is also proficient in the air and possesses excellent dribbling and ball control skills, making him a complete striker.
Here are 13 interesting facts about Osimhen that you absolutely need to know?
Youngest of six siblings
Born in Lagos on 29th December 1998, Victor was the last of the six children. His parents are from Ewohimi, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria.
He grew up alongside his brother Andrew and 4 other
siblings in Olusosun, a small community around Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.
God is good
Osimhen has an interesting story behind the
meaning of his last name.
In the native Esan language, his family surname "Osimhen" means
"God is good."
From African nursery team to big European club
When he broke out with the youth team, Wolfsburg registered their interest in the striker. Osimhen was transferred from Ultimate Striker Academy, a local club in Lagos, to German club VfL Wolfsburg for $3,970,225 on January 1, 2017.
He was one of the most expensive players to be signed directly from an African nursery team to a big European club, thanks to the transfer fee.
Breakout star at the U17 World Cup in 2015
Osimhen was an integral part of the Nigerian side that won the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile. His 10 goals in seven games at the tournament and his incredible goalscoring record coming into the tournament made heads turn all across the globe.
He finished the tournament as the highest goalscorer, winning the Golden Boot along with the Silver Ball for his standout performances.
Record-breaker at 2015 U17 World Cup
In Chile, Osimhen set a new scoring record at the FIFA U17 World Cup, as his 10 goals in seven matches broke the long-standing record of nine goals in a single tournament previously held jointly by Frenchman Florent Sinama Pongolle and Ivorian Souleymane Coulibaly.
2015 CAF Youth Player of the Year
His impressive
talismanic performances at the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2015 earned him the title
of 2015 CAF Youth Player of the Year.
2023 CAF Player of the Year
Drogba as the idol
Growing up, Osimhen always looked up to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba and has been vocal about his admiration of the striker.
"Drogba is the type of player who doesn't give up and possesses fighting spirit. He is also very passionate; always serious on the field and whatever the circumstance he would try and score for his team." he said speaking to ESPN.
Drogba recently congratulated him for his strong performances in Serie A and Champions League.
Rejected Arsenal at 17
We all know Osimhen as one of the world's best strikers now at Napoli, but things could have been very different.
The Nigerian superstar had multiple clubs circling him back in 2015 following his breakout season, and one of those clubs was Arsenal. He even had a chat with the then-Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger.
"I spoke with Arsene Wenger after the tournament ended and he wanted me to come to Arsenal," he said.
"I had a lot of options. Barcelona, Inter, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and the rest. Arsenal was a good option but it wasn't the best at the time. I wanted to start playing as soon as I turned 18. I wanted to go to a place where I had time to invest in my game and improve physically. Wolfsburg showed me that possibility."
Recipient of Marc Vivien Foe award
Before the 2019/2020 French Ligue 1 season was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Osimhen had scored an impressive 18 goals in 38 matches.
His performances earned him the Marc-Vivien Foe award for the best African player in Ligue 1, an award presented by Radio France International (RFI).
One of the most expensive transfers to date
Following his goalscoring exploits in France with Lille, Osimhen attracted the interest of Italian giants Napoli.
He joined Napoli for a reported fee of €70 millions potentially rising up to €80 million, making him the most expensive African player in history at the time.
It is still one of the most expensive transfers for an African player to date.
Mister Hat-trick
Osimhen immediately became a fan favorite after signing with Napoli.
The Nigerian netted two hat-tricks in his first two games for the club back in 2020, scoring three against L’Aquila and Teramo in the pre-season games.
According to Top Italian newspaper, Il Roma, Osimhen’s form wowed Napoli fans who have dubbed him ‘Mister Hat-Trick.’
Ninth all time top goalscorer in Nigeria's history
Since making his debut for the senior team in 2017, Osimhen has gone on to score 15 goals in his 23 appearance for the Super Eagles.
His tally puts him in ninth position in the country's all-time top goalscorers list with the best goal-per-game ratio (0.68) of all players in the top 10.
Among active players, he is just one goal behind Ahmed Musa and Odion Ighalo (both on 16) in the list.
Current top goalscorer of Serie A
Osimhen is powering Napoli to the apex of Italian football with his goals this season. His tally of 21 goals is the highest in the league so far and form a whooping 32.8 percent of the team's total tally of goals in Serie A.
He has also scored four goals in the UEFA Champions League.