By Biodun Busari
Nigerian Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen netted in 52nd minute to win the first Italian Serie A title in 33 years, clinching the Scudetto on Thursday with a 1-1 draw at Udinese.
With just the tie, the lanky talisman took Napoli to an unassailable 16-point lead with five games in hand, which had sparked wild jubilations throughout Naples, inside the stadium in Udine and beyond.
The title is Napoli’s third in Italy’s top division and their first since the legendary Argentine player Diego Maradona led them to championships in 1987 and 1990.
Maradona’s feats made Napoli’s home stadium to be renamed in Maradona’s honour following his death in November 2020.
Osimhen, already dubbed King of Naples for his sterling performance and remarkable achievement this season has equaled George Weah’s record for the highest African goalscorer in Serie A with 46 goals.
Aside from that, the 24-year-old has emerged as an African player in the Italian league with the most goals in a season 2022/23 having scored 22 times to cancel the Cameroonian legend, Samuel Eto’o ‘s 21 goals for Inter in 2010/11.
Others who had the records broken by Osimhen were Nigerian forward Simy Nwankwo with 20 goals for Crotone in 2020/21, Senegalese Keita Balde, and Egyptian Mohamed Salah banging 16 and 15 goals respectively for Lazio and Roma in the 2016/17 season.
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