Osimhen ends Napoli’s 33-year Wait for Serie A Glory
Napoli have been crowned Serie A champions for the first time since 1990 after a 1-1 draw with Udinese on Thursday night.
The hero of the night was Victor Osimhen, who scored the vital goal that secured the title for the Partenopei.
The Nigerian striker made history with his 22nd league goal of the season, breaking Samuel Eto’o’s record for the most goals by an African player in a single Serie A campaign.
He also equalled George Weah’s all-time record of 46 goals in the Italian top-flight.
Osimhen, who joined Napoli from Lille last summer for a club-record fee of €70 million, has been in sensational form this season, leading the scoring charts and helping his team challenge for the title.
He is now in the running to become the first African player to win the Serie A Golden Boot.
The 24-year-old’s goal came in the 52nd minute, when he latched onto a through ball from Lorenzo Insigne and slotted it past Udinese goalkeeper Juan Musso.
The hosts equalised in the 77th minute through Rodrigo De Paul, but Napoli held on to claim a historic point.
The result meant that Napoli finished the season with 86 points, one more than second-placed Inter Milan, who lost 2-1 to Juventus in Turin.
Napoli’s last Serie A title came in 1990, when they were led by Diego Maradona, who passed away in November.
Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso praised his players for their achievement and dedicated the title to Maradona and the fans.
“This is a special moment for us. We have worked hard and fought for this. I’m proud of my players and I want to thank them for their commitment and sacrifice.
This title is for Diego, who is watching us from above, and for our fans, who have always supported us,” he said.
Osimhen also expressed his joy and gratitude after lifting the trophy. “This is a dream come true for me. I came here to win titles and I’m happy to have done it in my first season.
I want to thank God, my family, my teammates, my coach and the fans for their love and support. This is for them,” he said.
