Victor James Osimhen, the 2021-2022 Serie A Best Young Player, scored his 22nd Italian league goal of the season against Udinese last Thursday, May 4, 2023.
The in-form Nigerian striker levelled the score for Luciano Spalletti’s side in the 51st minute of the second half at the new Dacia Arena, securing the Azzurri their third Serie A league title in 33 years.
Napoli has the best attack and defence in the Italian league: a significant share of the Scudetto certainly belongs to Victor Osimhen, who has scored 22 goals, and their performance on the league table, which is their lead over second-place Lazio now stands at 16 points with five games to play and 15 points still up for grabs.
The 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Boot and Silver Ball winner, who joined Napoli for a record fee during Genaro Gattuso’s tenure as manager, has established himself as the top African goal scorer in Serie A history.
Osimhen has scored 22 goals in 27 Serie A games this season, passing Samuel Eto’o for the most goals scored by an African in a Serie A season and equaling George Weah for the most goals scored by an African in Serie A history at 46 goals each.
Osimhen has also joined his colleague and former player Obafemi Martins as the second Nigerian to ever win the Scudetto; seventeen years ago, Martins won the Serie A with Internazionale Milan.
Victor Osimhen became a king at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium last Thursday night when the Nigerian striker scored the goal that propelled Napoli to the title five match days ahead of schedule.
In an interview after the game, the Nigerian forward told Napoli Television that he needed the goal in the game to salvage a bet by a fan in his homeland who had placed his last money for Osimhen to score against Udinese.
Victor disclosed, “After the first half, I got a call from my cousin from Nigeria, and he told me one of his high school friends had placed his last 300,000 Naira on me to score.” “I didn’t want to disappoint him,” he indicated.