Nigeria legend Emmanuel Amuneke tok say more suppose dey expected from Victor Osimhen afta di Super Eagles striker finish eighth for di 2023 men Ballon d’Or.
Di 24-year-old na di top African player and become di highest-ranked Nigerian for di global award since in start 1956 afta one ogbonge 2022-23 season wit club side Napoli, wia e bin score 26 league goals to help dem win one first Italian title inside 33 years.
Osimhen also become di highest-scoring African for di Serie A history, e break di previous record wey 1995 Ballon d’Or winner George Weah hold, wey now president of Liberia.
“No doubt about im character, in terms of im desire and zeal to achieve sometin, succeed and win,” Amuneke, wey nurture Osimhen while Nigeria Under-17 coach, tell BBC Sport Africa.
“As coach for youth level, dat na sometin wey make me admire am. Dat na one of di best [attribute] for one player to make am to di highest stage.”
Afta e win Serie A wit Napoli and finish as top scorer to qualify for di 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) wit 10 goals, strong indications say Osimhen go claim di 2023 Confederation of African Football (Caf) men player of di year trophy.
Di former Wolfsburg and Lille striker dey di 30-man long-list for di award alongside Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, Manchester United and Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana and Morocco right-back Achraf Hakimi, wey play for French giants Paris St-Germain.
Di winner go dey announced next month for one ceremony for Marrakech, Morocco, and fit see Osimhen become di first Nigerian to clinch di honour since former Arsenal forward Nwankwo Kanu for 1999.
“We hope say e win di Caf award wit wetin e don do for im club and di national team,” say Amuneke wey imself bin dey name di African player of di year for 1994.
“Regardless say e no play for di World Cup (Qatar 2022), e don dey able to establish imself as one worthy contender.”
Despite say e dey go on to achieve success wit club and country, Amuneke, wey bin play alongside Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola for Barcelona, don recall how di young Osimhen almost miss out on making Nigeria squad for di U17 World Cup for 2015.
However, e eventually dey selected to travel to Chile and make history by scoring 10 goals as di Golden Eaglets win di title for di fifth time.
“We actually get plenti pipo (strikers) during di screening,” Amuneke, now 52, tok.
“I bin pair each of di players for groups and im set bin play badly. I bin already ignore Victor wit oda players for im set but my backroom staff bin draw my attention to am.
“I den give am anoda chance and e prove imself to make di squad.”
‘Talented’ Nigeria fit win 2023 Afcon
Amuneke, wey now base for di Spanish city of Santander, believe say Osimhen and di Super Eagles get di quality to win di 2023 Nations Cup for Ivory Coast next year.
Di West Africans don be continental champions three times, wit dia most recent success wey come under di late Stephen Keshi for 2013 for South Africa.
“We dey blessed wit one crop of talented players, but we no fit go di tournament just dey think say we fit win sake of say we get good players,” Amuneke tok.
“To win Afcon no be about players -a whole lot dey to plan and implement.”
However, Amuneke, wey bin score two goals for di final against Zambia to help Nigeria win dia second Nations Cup title for Tunisia for 1994, want current Super Eagles boss Jose Peseiro to address some weak areas for di team.
“Di offensive players need also be part of di defence, especially wen di team no dey possession,” e tok.
“Di coach need take holistic look at im team and find one solution to make dem compete wella against oda teams.”
Nigeria, wey don dey drawn for Group A alongside hosts Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, bin dey knocked out for di last 16 for di last Afcon for Cameroon.
