President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the 2023 People’s Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have congratulated Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala for their outstanding achievements in football.
On December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco, Osimhen and Oshoala were honoured as the CAF Players of the Year in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively.
Osimhen, the Super Eagles striker, emerged victorious over Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, bringing the coveted award home after a 24-year hiatus. Meanwhile, Oshoala made history by becoming the first woman to secure the Women’s Player of the Year award six times, having previously won in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2022.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, President Tinubu commended both athletes for serving as sources of national pride and inspiration for aspiring footballers across the continent. He congratulated Chiamaka Nnadozie, awarded Woman Goalkeeper of the Year, and applauded the Super Falcons for earning the Women’s National Team of the Year title at the CAF Awards 2023.
President Tinubu's statement expressed, “I congratulate Nigeria’s Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen, on winning the CAF 2023 Men’s Player of the Year award, the remarkable achievements of Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria’s Super Falcons, who clinched the 2023 CAF Women’s Player of The Year for the sixth time, Chiamaka Nnadozie, who was awarded the Woman Goalkeeper of the Year, as well as the Super Falcons for emerging the Women’s National Team of the Year at the CAF Awards 2023. I commend the trio of Osimhen, Oshoala, and Nnadozie for their outstanding performances on both national and international stages.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also took to Twitter to express his excitement and delight at the unprecedented achievements of Osimhen and Oshoala in Nigeria's football history. He praised Osimhen for bringing the title to Nigeria after 24 years and acknowledged Oshoala’s remarkable feat of winning the same title for the sixth time. The Super Falcons were honored as the Women's National Team of the Year.
