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Tag: Napoli

  • Osimhen left out of Napoli’s squad

    Osimhen left out of Napoli’s squad

    Napoli forward Victor Osimhen will miss his side’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg game at AC Milan on Wednesday.

    This came after the Nigerian was left out of manager Luciano Spalletti’s match day squad due to injury.

    Osimhen, who is Serie A’s top scorer this season with 21 goals, has missed this month’s league games against AC Milan and Lecce due to a thigh strain.

    In a post on their website, Napoli said Osimhen “worked separately” from the team during Tuesday’s training session.

    Giacomo Raspadori is expected to lead the line against AC Milan, with Argentine striker Giovanni Simeone also sidelined due to a thigh issue.

    Napoli beat Eintracht Frankfurt 5-0 on aggregate in the last 16 round in March to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time.

  • I’m extremely proud of myself – Victor Osimhen

    I’m extremely proud of myself – Victor Osimhen

    Napoli striker Victor Osimhen admits he’s excited being so close to winning the Scudetto.

    Osimhen admits he’s full of pride over his influence on Napoli’s push.

    He told Elegebete Tv Sports: “I’m extremely proud of myself, I’m collecting crazy numbers and this is good for me and for Napoli, my team.

    “Now we’re in the running to become champions and celebrate. ”

    “I’ll give everything myself in the next matches to make sure my dreams come true, I can’t wait!

    “The Scudetto is becoming a reality.”

  • EPL: Okocha shows Osimhen three premier League clubs he will excel in

    EPL: Okocha shows Osimhen three premier League clubs he will excel in

    Former Nigeria midfield maestro, Austin Jay Jay Okocha has shown Victor Osimhen three English premier League sides he can excel in.

    Chelsea Southampton, Manchester United are keen on grabbing the NAPOLI of Italy forward who has 21 goals already in 23 games.

    Okocha, who was a popular figure in England during his time with Bolton Wanderers has however picked Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal as the ideal club for the striker.

    “A team like Manchester City, but they have [Erling] Haaland now, and I think Manchester United as well,” Okocha told the BBC.

    “It might be an ideal club for him because they have been struggling to find a quality striker in recent years. Both Manchester teams might be ideal for him, and Arsenal as well.”

    Osimhen’s popularity has continued to soar following his consistent impressive displays for Serie A leaders, Napoli.

    The 24-year-old has scored 21 goals in 23 league appearances for the Partenopei this season and will be winning the Serie A for the first time in over 30 years.

  • UCL: Osimhen’s brace sends Napoli into quarter-finals, Liverpool out

    UCL: Osimhen’s brace sends Napoli into quarter-finals, Liverpool out

    Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored twice on Wednesday to help steer Napoli FC of Italy to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

    The win ensured they moved into the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals for the first time.

    The 24-year-old who scored in each half of the game was also the hero in their 2-0 win in the first-leg match in Germany about a fortnight ago.

    Osimhen scored his first goal of the match with a header in first-half stoppage time.

    He bagged his 23rd goal in 28 matches in all competitions this season when he found the net with a tap-in after a quick four-pass Napoli combination in the 53rd minute.

    Piotr Zielinski then converted a penalty kick to secure a 5-0 aggregate win.

    Prior to the game, fighting broke out in the Italian city as fans set a police car on fire and threw stones at buses and police.

    Italian authorities had banned German fans from attending the game amid concerns about possible violence, but some Eintracht Frankfurt supporters made the trip to Italy anyway.

    It was peaceful inside the Diego Maradona stadium and the hosts were in control from the start.

    Khvicha Kvaratskhelia went close with a mazy run into the box in the 19th minute.

    The Georgian was denied again in the 43rd minute with goalkeeper Kevin Trapp kicking the winger’s close-range shot wide.

    Osimhen opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time after being given far too much space in the penalty box to rise high and head in a measured Matteo Politano cross.

    The German side were thereafter under pressure from Napoli’s relentless pressing game and it was Osimhen who scored again.

    He tapped in from close range to kill off any hopes of a German comeback, becoming the first Napoli player to score in both legs of a Champions League knockout match.

    The Serie A leaders capped a superb two-legged performance with Zielinski’s penalty kick after the Pole was brought down in the box.

    Elsewhere, Real Madrid cruised into the 2022/2023 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

    Karim Benzema’s second-half goal secured a comfortable 1-0 win over Liverpool in their last-16 second leg game to wrap up a 6-2 aggregate victory.

    The Spanish giants sealed victory in the 79th minute when Vinicius Jr flicked a loose ball inside the area to Benzema who tapped it into the net.

  • Osimhen ready to become “an icon” with Napoli title win

    Osimhen ready to become “an icon” with Napoli title win

    If striker Victor Osimhen manages to lead Napoli to their first Italian Serie A title in more than 30 years, he believes he will become a club “icon”.

    However, the 24-year-old Nigerian said he would not be able to reach the status of late Argentine great Diego Maradona, whom he called a “demi-god”.

    Maradona remains Naples’ biggest football hero.

    He led the local team to their only two league titles in 1987 and 1990, and their stadium is named after him.

    “I don’t consider myself as an icon yet, until I achieve the objective which the club has set itself for this season,” Osimhen said while picking up an award in Rome.

    However, if Napoli win the scudetto, he said: “I think (I) have a very big chance of being named an icon.”

    But, he added, “it wouldn’t compare to what Maradona has done for this club.”

    With 13 games to go, Napoli are odds-on for Serie A glory, having a huge, 15-point advantage over second-placed Inter Milan.

    Winning would be a huge lift for the city in Italy’s poorer south, where fans are passionate about the club.

    Some street hawkers are already selling mementoes in Napoli colours and with a “three” on them in anticipation of a third title.

    Shops are also selling cakes and Easter eggs decorated with Osimhen’s trademark face mask, which he wears on the pitch following a face injury.

    “It’s been 33 years since the last scudetto,” Napoli Chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis said.

    “Another title could make the city go crazy, I think it is already going crazy and planning (a party) which could involve two or three million people,” De Laurentiis said.

    Osimhen, who is in his third season at Napoli after previous stints in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg and in Ligue 1 with Lille, is Serie A’s top scorer this season with 19 goals.

    In Rome, where he was given a prize by the Foreign Press Association, he hinted at future move to England’s Premier League.

    “I’m working so hard to make sure that I achieve my dream of playing of course in the Premier League some day,” he said, adding that for the moment he was focused on the Serie A.

  • Victor Osimhen constitutes UEFA Champions League Team Of The Week

    Victor Osimhen constitutes UEFA Champions League Team Of The Week

    Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen, has been included in both the UEFA Champions League Team of the Week and the Team of round 16 first-leg.

    Osimhen continued his impressive scoring form for Napoli after getting on the score sheet in their 2-0 win away to 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday, February 21.

    He took his tally for the season to 20 in 24 games in all competitions for the Serie A leaders.

    The team of the week was announced by the football facts and statistics website whoscored.com on their Twitter handle.

    Victor Osimhen included in UEFA Champions League Team Of The Week

    Osimhen alongside three of his Napoli teammates and Real Madrid’s quarter, Karim Benzema, Eder Militao, Vinicius Junior and Luka Modric, all made the Team of the Week.

    While for the Team of the first-leg round of 16, Osimhen was included with the same Madrid players and also three of his Napoli teammates.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Osimhen is being linked with moves to Chelsea and Manchester United this summer.

    Born in Nigeria, Osimhen began his senior career in Germany at VfL Wolfsburg in 2017. Following a season and a half at the club, he moved to Belgian side Charleroi on loan in 2018–19, before moving to France at Lille.

    In 2020, Osimhen transferred to Serie A club Napoli for a club-record fee of €70 million. He won the Serie A Best Young Player award in the 2021–22 season.

    Victor Osimhen included in UEFA Champions League Team Of The Week

    Osimhen won the Golden Boot award at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which Nigeria won. He made his senior international debut in June 2017 and played at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

    He is currently the ninth all-time highest goalscorer of the Nigeria national team.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Osimhen started his career at the Ultimate Strikers Academy, based in Lagos, Nigeria.

    In January 2016, after being noticed for his performances at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Osimhen committed to a pre-contract with VfL Wolfsburg, stipulating that he would officially join the club in January 2017

  • Osimhen speaks on Man Utd, Barca rumours

    Osimhen speaks on Man Utd, Barca rumours

    Napoli striker Victor Osimhen says he’ll consider his future at the end of the season.

    The Nigerian is being watched by Manchester United and Barcelona.

    But he said: “I just want to help my team to win matches and win trophies.

    “At the end of the season, we will see what is going to happen, but that is not up to me.

    “It is for the club to decide.”

  • Serie A: Osimhen breaks Ronaldo’s ‘high-flying’ record in Italy

    Serie A: Osimhen breaks Ronaldo’s ‘high-flying’ record in Italy

    Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen has broken Cristiano Ronaldo’s long-standing jump record after leaping to 2.58 meters to score a goal in Napoli’s 3-0 demolition of Spezia.

    Osimhen broke Ronaldo’s record when he netted his first goal – Napoli’s second of the day – against the Little Eagles at the Stadio Alberto Picco.

    The Nigeria international has scored great headers during his career, but the goal against Spezia was truly extraordinary and could go down as a contender for the greatest headed goal in football history.

    After a goalless first half, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia gave Luciano Spalletti’s side the lead after converting from the penalty spot before Osimhen added the game’s second in the 68th minute with a remarkable effort.

    Osimhen is Serie A’s highest goal scorer for the current season after netting 16 goals in 17 games for the League Leaders.

    Napoli are on the verge of winning the Scudetto first time in over 30 years,

  • Man Utd plot EPL transfer record fee for Osimhen

    Man Utd plot EPL transfer record fee for Osimhen

    Premier League club Manchester United are firm on signing Napoli star Victor Osimhen after making him a priority summer target.

    La Gazzetta dello Sport says United are prepared to break the bank and match the British transfer record Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez by launching a £107m bid for Victor Osimhen.

    The Nigerian international has become United’s top summer transfer target off the back of impressive performances that have seen him score 16 goals and become Serie A’s top scorer.

    Osimhen continued his stunning form with a brace in Napoli’s 3-0 away win over Spezia on Sunday which saw them extend their lead at the top of the Italian league to 13 points.

    United first-team manager Erik ten Hag has had to rely on an injury-prone Anthony Martial and January loanee Wout Weghorst to lead the line in United’s three-pronged attack this season.

    But the Dutchman is keen to bring in a new superstar striker in the summer as he attempts to build on what has been a brilliant stellar debut campaign in charge of the Red Devils.

    And Napoli believe the Premier League giants will match the £107m asking price inserted in the 24-year-old’s existing contract.

  • Serie A: Osimhen scores two in Napoli’s 3-0 demolition of Spezia

    Serie A: Osimhen scores two in Napoli’s 3-0 demolition of Spezia

    Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen has increased his goals tally to 16 after scoring two goals in Napoli’s 3-1 win over Spezia on Sunday.

    The 24-year-old would have made it a hattrick but the center referee ruled out one of his goals.

    Spezia who narrowly lost to Napoli in the first leg made life difficult for Napoli in the first half of the reverse fixture.

    Kvicha Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring for Napoli from the spot two minutes after the break before setting up Osomhen’s two other goals.

    Osimhen nodded home on 68th minute after Spezia goalkeeper, Bartlomiej Drągowski spilled Kvaratskhelia’s cross into his path.

    The Nigeria international then tapped home from close range five minutes later to make it 3-0 for Napoli.

    The gangling forward now tops the scorers chart with 16 goals from 17 league appearances for Napoli, coming second is Ademola Lookman with 12 goals.

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