Paris (AFP) – Lille’s Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen was on Monday named the top African player in France’s coronavirus-curtailed Ligue 1 season.
At 21 the Lagos-born forward is the youngest ever recipient of the Prix Marc Vivien-Foe, named in honour of the late Cameroon player who died aged 28 in 2003.
With 13 goals in the 2019-20 campaign Osimhen beat off opposition led by Monaco’s Islam Slimani of Algeria and Moroccan Yunis Abdelhamid who plays for Reims.
Osimhen succeeds Nicolas Pepe, who moved from Lille to Arsenal last summer.
Like Pepe, the sought-after Osimhen is expected to be lured to a new club next season.
“I have planned for some time that Victor will no longer be here next season,” conceded Lille coach Christophe Galtier this month.
Osimhen has not resumed training with his current side as he is in Nigeria following the death of his father.
He was voted top African in Ligue 1 by a panel of 100 journalists, announced the award’s organisers RFI radio and France 24.
Lille finished fourth in the 2019/2020 campaign which in contrast to other major European leagues was ended in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
