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… As leading African goalscorer
• Market value rises above Pogba
By Rasaq Oboirien
Victor Osimhen was the hero as Napoli celebrated the Scudetto with their fans and the Nigerian shook off a penalty miss to set a new record as the top African scorer in Serie A, beating Fiorentina 1-0.
The title was secured with a 1-1 draw away to Udinese on Thursday, so this was the first opportunity to enjoy the moment together with their fans at the Stadio Maradona.
Fiorentina welcomed the new champion of Italy with a guard of honour but that didn’t stop Osimhen from hitting the side netting from an Eljif Elmas slide-rule pass, but Lozano had to be carried off the field after a knee injury.
Straight after the restart, Osimhen’s high press forced Fiorentina into an error, with Amrabat shoving Stanislav Lobotka over for a penalty.
Osimhen stepped up, but Terracciano, meaning the Nigerian has failed to convert both efforts in Serie A and the Champions League this season, parried both his spot-kick and the rebound.
Kvicha Kvaratskhelia cut inside and his dummies drew Nico Gonzalez into an avoidable challenge, leading to another penalty and this time Osimhen did manage to convert by sending Terracciano the wrong way, adding to his Capocannoniere tally and breaking George Weah’s record of Serie A goals for an African player.
It meant Napoli continues to have a shocking record from the penalty spot this season, as Osimhen failed to convert his second in all competition, while the club scored only 11 out of 17.
The Partenopei were celebrating their Scudetto and hoped to increase Osimhen’s chances of winning the Capocannoniere title too.
This is why he was chosen to take a penalty, but Pietro Terracciano parried it.
The Nigerian was however lucky in the 74th minute as he scored the winner from the spot kick to hand Napoli a deserved win.
It means Osimhen has taken three spot-kicks this season and failed to score two of them, as the other was in the Champions League against Liverpool.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian stock has skyrocket ahead of Pogba in market value.
Osimhen has skyrocketed in popularity, firmly establishing itself as the best-selling collectible of recent times, Soccernet.ng reports.
Shedding light on the origin of this artistic masterpiece, renowned crib master Marco Ferrigno shared the intriguing backstory during a candid interview on La7’s esteemed Propaganda Live broadcast, as per Tutto Napoli.
Ferrigno, revered for his mastery in crafting exquisite figurines, narrated how his previous venture involving statuettes of former Manchester United ace, Paul Pogba had encountered an unexpected marketing obstacle.
Despite his skillful artistry, Pogba’s unfortunate string of injuries since rejoining Juventus had hampered the commercial success of the figurines.
Undeterred, Ferrigno embarked on a creative endeavour, ingeniously transforming the once-prominent Pogba sculptures into a fresh incarnation, thus giving birth to the captivating yellow-headed representation of Victor Osimhen.
The figurine’s soaring popularity can be attributed to the convergence of artistry and timing, capturing the hearts of both football enthusiasts and avid collectors.
With Osimhen’s meteoric rise to prominence in both domestic and international football circles, it comes as no surprise that his figurine has become an unparalleled sensation among fans and collectors alike.
The convergence of Ferrigno’s artistic prowess and Osimhen’s soaring popularity has propelled the creation to unprecedented heights, solidifying its position as the preeminent collectible in the market.
