HIS BACKGROUND
Victor Osimhen was born on December 29, 1998, in Lagos, Nigeria. He grew up in Olusosun, a densely populated area of Lagos, where he played football on the streets with his friends. His parents, both of whom are deceased, were from Esan South East Local Government Area in Edo State, Nigeria.
HIS CAREER JOURNEY
Osimhen started his youth career at the Ultimate Strikers Academy in Lagos, before moving to the Lagos-based club, Bridge FC. He was discovered by scouts from the Nigerian national team and subsequently joined the U-17 team in 2015. In the same year, he was part of the Nigerian team that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup, scoring ten goals in the tournament and winning the Golden Boot award.
After his impressive performance in the U-17 World Cup, Osimhen was signed by German club Wolfsburg in January 2017. However, he struggled to make an impact in the Bundesliga and was loaned out to Belgian club Charleroi for the 2018-19 season. He had a successful spell at Charleroi, scoring 20 goals in all competitions and attracting the interest of several top European clubs.
In the summer of 2019, Osimhen signed for French club Lille on a permanent deal. He had a fantastic debut season in Ligue 1, scoring 18 goals and providing six assists in 38 appearances. He also helped Lille finish fourth in the league and qualify for the UEFA Europa League. His performances earned him the Marc-Vivien Foe award for the best African player in Ligue 1.
In July 2020, Osimhen signed for Italian club Napoli for a reported fee of €70 million, making him the most expensive African player in history. He had a slow start to his Napoli career due to injury and illness but has since established himself as a key player for the club. In his first season with Napoli, he scored 10 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions.
At the international level, Osimhen made his debut for the Nigeria national team in 2017 and has since become a regular member of the squad. He has scored six goals in 15 appearances for the Super Eagles, including a hat-trick in a 4-2 win against Lesotho in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
Overall, Victor Osimhen has come a long way from his humble beginnings in Lagos to becoming one of the most promising young strikers in world football today.
After joining Wolfsburg in January 2017, Osimhen struggled to make an impact in the Bundesliga and was loaned out to Belgian club Charleroi for the 2018-19 season. At Charleroi, he formed a formidable attacking partnership with Congolese striker, Knowledge Musona, scoring a combined 35 goals in all competitions. He also won the Ebony Shoe award, which is given to the best African or African origin player in the Belgian Pro League.
Following his successful loan spell at Charleroi, Osimhen returned to Wolfsburg for the 2019-20 season but was subsequently sold to Lille in July 2019 for a reported fee of €12 million. He made an instant impact at Lille, scoring two goals on his debut in a 2-1 win over Nantes in August 2019. He went on to score 18 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions for Lille, helping them finish fourth in Ligue 1 and qualify for the Europa League.
In July 2020, Osimhen signed for Napoli on a five-year deal for a reported fee of €70 million. He was given the number 9 shirt, previously worn by Napoli legend, Gonzalo Higuaín. Osimhen made his debut for Napoli in September 2020, scoring a goal in a 2-0 win over Parma. He also scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Atalanta in November 2020.
HIS ACHIEVEMENTS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
- Won the FIFA U-17 World Cup with Nigeria in 2015, scoring ten goals and winning the Golden Boot award.
- Signed for German club Wolfsburg in January 2017 at the age of 18, becoming one of the youngest African players to sign for a Bundesliga club.
- Won the Ebony Shoe award for the best African or African origin player in the Belgian Pro League during his loan spell at Charleroi in 2018-19.
- Signed for French club Lille in July 2019 and had a fantastic debut season, scoring 18 goals and providing six assists in 38 appearances in all competitions. He also won the Marc-Vivien Foe award for the best African player in Ligue 1.
- Became the most expensive African player in history when he signed for Napoli in July 2020 for a reported fee of €70 million.
- Scored his first Serie A goal for Napoli in October 2020 in a 4-1 win over Atalanta.
- Scored a hat-trick for Napoli in a 4-0 win over Atalanta in November 2020.
- Scored his first senior international goal for Nigeria in a 2-2 draw against Ukraine in September 2019.
- Scored a brace for Nigeria in a 4-4 draw against Sierra Leone in a 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.
- Has scored a total of six goals in 15 appearances for the Nigeria national team as of May 2023.
