The winners of the 2023 CAF Awards gave us not only the chance to appreciate the talent Africa has to offer, but also to reflect on just how far the continent has come internationally.
It could be argued that African players have always shown promise throughout history, but were not recognised on as big a global scale as they are today. On the flip-side, one can argue that the level of footballers from the continent is on a higher level today than it was in the past, and that they are gradually reaching even greater heights in terms of accolades, individual achievements as well as longevity at the pinnacle of the game.
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It is perhaps also evident that more African players have become integral parts of their respective clubs' squads, judging by the recent criticism levelled at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament. Many managers have been vocal about how their players having to depart for it will be a massive blow to their tactical structure, with Bayer Leverkusen Xabi Alonso among them.
The Spanish tactician has a talented, young Nigerian striker, Victor Boniface, at his disposal, but will likely lose him when AFCON 2023 comes around in January. The Super Eagles forward has scored eight goals and assisted on six occasions in just 14 league appearances, and is also joint-fifth on the Bundesliga's top scorers list for this campaign too.
Meanwhile, Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy is in second place with 16 goals in Germany, behind only Harry Kane, who has 18.
Africa has always had top-class strikers throughout the generations, including Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba and Benni McCarthy, to name just a few. Now, however, they seem to be in greater abundance across the globe.
Let's take the player who won the African Player of the Year award: Victor Osimhen. He is arguably the second-most renowned player from the continent in the world behind Mohamed Salah, but what he has achieved and how important he has become to the set-up of Serie A side Napoli is quite remarkable. He is considered by many to be among the best strikers in the world at the moment!
The Napoli forward won the CAF prize on the back of finishing the 2022/23 season as the first Napoli player to be Serie A's top scorer since Diego Maradona in 1987/88, and in doing so, helped his club to its first league title in over three decades. He also helped Gli Azzurri reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, where they were knocked out by domestic rivals AC Milan. It would be fair to say that he left his mark on the side's successful campaign and put himself in the Italian history books.
Salah is also doing a really good job of representing the continent. Aside from the major trophies he has collected while at Liverpool – including a UCL title and an EPL triumph – the Egyptian recently scored his 200th goal for the club. He has also become an adored figure at Anfield, and some of the songs the fans have created for him are not too shabby either!
@dailymailsport This Mo Salah chant is brilliant ???? (@JudgingFootball) #dailymailsport #dailymail #sports #football #soccer #liverpool #mosalah #ynwa ? original sound - Daily Mail Sport
Someone else who has also left his mark in Europe is Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who was recognised as the Best Goalkeeper from the continent and is also in the running for FIFA's Best Goalkeeper of the Year award. In addition to that, he is also the first African goalkeeper to ever be ranked in the top 15 for the Ballon d'Or award.
Having mentioned a Moroccan player, this conversation would be incomplete without bringing up the Morocco team that made history at the 2022 FIFA World Cup by becoming the first-ever African side to reach the World Cup semi-finals, further proving the tremendous progress being made.
All that is left to do now is attract more eyes to the various leagues and tournaments the continent has to offer, and with the African Football League and various new CAF initiatives, there is reason to optimistic about the future of football on the Mother Continent.
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