Osimhen is Africa’s Highest Ranked Ballon d’Or Player

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Nigeria and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen, finished as Africa’s highest ranked player at 8th position amongst the 30 stars nominated for this year’s prestigious Ballon d’Or Award organised by France Footballlast night in Paris. 

With the unveiling of players ranked 11 to 30 released, Osimhen’s name was missing from the lot, thus fueling the likelihood of the Napoli front man in the Top 10 with the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. 

It was therefore surprisingly to see Osimhen ranked 8th best player in the world, ahead of such established players as Mohamed Salah (11th), Robert Lewandowski(12), Karim Benzema (16) and his Napoli teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (17).

Osimhen became the first African to be crowned Serie A Goal King with 26 goals last season and his goals helped Napoli win the Scudetto for the first time in over three decades.

This voting patterns perhaps is a pointer to the Nigerian winning his first CAF African Footballer of the Year award this year.

• 8: Victor Osimhen Napoli & Nigeria
• Bernardo Silva Man City&Portugal
• Luka Modric Real Madrid & Croatia
• 11:Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt)
• 12:Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona & Poland)
• 13:Yassine Bounou (Sevilla, Al Hilal & Morocco)
• 14:Ilkay Gundogan (Man City, Barcelona & Germany)
• 15:Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa & Argentina)
• 16:Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, Al Ittihad & France)
• 17: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli, Bayern Munich & Korean Rep)
• 18: Jude Bellingham (B Dortmund, Real Madrid & England)
• 19: Harry Kane (Spurs, Bayern Munich & England)
• 20: Lautaro Martinez (Inter & Argentina)
• 21: Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid & France)
• 22: Kim Min-jae (Napoli, Bayern Munich & Korean Rep)
• 23: Andre Onana (Inter, Man Utd & Cameroon)
• 24: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal & England)
• 25: Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig, Man City & Croatia)
• 26: Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich & Germany)
• 27: Nicolo Barella (Inter & Italy)
• 28= Martin Odegaard (Arsenal & Norway)
• 28= Randal Kolo Muani (PSG & France)
• 30: Ruben Dias (Man City & Portugal)