Footballer Victor Osimhen, one of the best attackers in the world, who was crowned by the Confederation of African Football African Player of the Year 2023, is currently at the CAN where he is one of the big stars. This is where RFI was able to finally present him with the Marc-Vivien Foé prize awarded to the best African player in Ligue 1, which he won in 2020 at the end of a season shortened by Covid. He answers questions from Christophe Jousset.
RFI: How do you feel with this trophy, this Marc-Vivien Foé prize in your hands?
Victor Osimhen: It feels good. It means a lot to me. I remember winning this award, but I wasn’t able to receive the trophy. Thank you for coming all the way here to give it to me. I want to send a special thank you to my former club, Lille, for their support and love. I also think of my former Lille teammates who helped me obtain this historic award. I am happy and this gives me great motivation to continue moving forward in my career.
Best player in Ligue 1 in 2020 and three years later, the CAF trophy for best African player, your progress has been rapid. Did you expect to go this fast?
Yes, I think everything that happens to me is good. I think I deserved it. I have experienced a lot of failures, a lot of disappointments. Many people left me behind, thinking I could never achieve something bigger and become the African Footballer of the Year. But for me, it’s hard work and consistency, because I really give it my all: sweat, blood and tears, to make my dreams come true. And establishing myself is a huge challenge for me. I can not lie. This is just the beginning. It’s just motivation to keep moving forward. And I know that I really have so much to accomplish.
This is your first real CAN with Nigeria – you only played 45 minutes in 2019 – what does it feel like to play and play the leading roles?
It feels good. In 2019, Odion Ighalo was the starting striker and it was important for me to be able to watch him and gain some experience. He motivates me. He’s a big brother to me. In 2019, when I got those 45 minutes, it wasn’t really the right 45 minutes because I was quite nervous. It was the first time I played in a competition like that. But of course, over time I grew, I got better. I had that confidence and for me to come here now as the number one striker, and represent my country, it’s a great honour. I’m ready. No matter what people say, I don’t care. I am focused, with the objective of helping the team win the CAN. We still have a long way to go. I am really ready to give everything.
You beat Ivory Coast on Thursday in Abidjan, is this Nigeria’s real start in this competition?
Yes, of course, we still had a disappointing draw against Equatorial Guinea in the first match. We deserved to win… We missed a lot of chances. But then we beat the host country. We must continue. We have great respect for the Ivorian team, because they have a lot of quality players, capable of helping them win matches. But of course we were determined. I think it was one of the best games my teammates and I have ever played since I came to the Super Eagles. We could see the passion and determination that we had. So I think we deserve the win and we will continue from there.
On Thursday, you met Didier Drogba at the stadium, did you tell him Yako (a term to express compassion in Ivory Coast, to say that you are sorry, Editor’s note)?
(He laughs) I didn’t even know he was behind me. Actually, it was before the match, I was ready to go out for the warm-up and then I felt someone tap me on the back. And when I turned around, I saw it was him. For me, it was a great moment. It was short, but it was definitely a great moment. It’s something I will cherish for the rest of my life, because I wanted to meet Didier Drogba since I was a child. And I can’t lie, I had goosebumps. He is a great inspiration for me, a great icon. And what he did for football, the hope he gave to African children to become professional footballers is truly incredible. This is truly Africa’s greatest legend!
Were you one of those kids who looked up to Drogba like an idol?
Yeah, of course, growing up, I had this guy who would tell me: I played with Didier Drogba, and then he would call me at his house and show me his videos on YouTube and all that. And that inspired me because Drogba and I play a bit in the same way, with almost the same qualities. I still watch videos on YouTube to analyze his way of playing and add something of him into my game. I think he helped me become the player I am. I owe part of my success to him because he inspired me and I don’t say that lightly, he really inspires me…
You still have to play against Guinea-Bissau in the first round, is it quite simple for the Super Eagles?
Guinea-Bissau is not an easy opponent, believe me. We faced them in the CAN qualifiers, they came to Abuja to win, and they did it. When we went to their place, we won with a penalty and they caused us problems. They had missed a lot of chances. This is a team that should not be underestimated. No team should be. Look at what Equatorial Guinea is doing, what Namibia has achieved. When you face these kinds of teams, you have to pull out all the stops, you have to be strong, and fight to win. I think the match will be like the one against Equatorial Guinea or Ivory Coast. We know they can hurt us if we let them play.
Would you say that Nigeria is there to win the CAN now?
Of course ! Like all other nations. We came to win since the coach presented his plan to us. He considered that the CAN should be an objective because we have the necessary quality. We’ve only played two matches, there are five left so it won’t be easy. The road will be long, but we are determined to win.
Nigeria is not just about attackers?
Of course not ! We have lots of creative midfielders, our goalkeeper is also very good and we have an excellent team. So now that we have a good foundation, that we have beaten the host country, which is a great performance, I think we will continue to move forward.
► Links:
• CAN 2024
• schedule and results
• the six groups of the CAN