Samuel Chukwueze of Villarreal wins the Best African Player of LaLiga Santander 2022/2023 award

Nigerian forward Samuel Chukwueze has won the Best African Player (MVP) award for LaLiga Santander 2022/2023, following a vote organized among African supporters and sports journalists.

Nigerian forward Samuel Chukwueze has been named as the winner of the Best African Player (MVP) award for LaLiga Santander 2022/2023, following the votes of thousands of supporters and some of Africa's top sports journalists, in order to select the most outstanding African star of LaLiga Santander this season.

The dynamic Super Eagle had a fantastic season with the Yellow Submarine, scoring 13 goals and providing 11 assists in all competitions, and playing in 37 out of 38 LaLiga Santander matches for the club. His brilliant performances propelled Villarreal CF to a place in the UEFA Europa League next season.

"I am very happy to have won this award," said Chukwueze. "I have worked very hard this season, but I want to thank my teammates for making this possible. Without them, it would not have been possible for me... and the coach (Quique Setién) as well. When the coach believes in you and gives you the confidence to play and have fun, it motivates you tremendously."

"But I think I can still do more," he added. "I want to continue working hard. I am still young, so I keep learning. This is just the beginning."

Chukwueze surpassed Iñaki Williams, the best African player of the mid-season in LaLiga Santander, who is a forward for Athletic Club and broke all records by scoring 10 goals in 36 LaLiga Santander matches this season, thus establishing the incredible record of 251 consecutive LaLiga Santander matches with the Basque team over seven seasons.

More than 30,000 supporters from across the continent and 26 African sports journalists voted for the Best African Player of LaLiga Santander, and Chukwueze emerged as the winner.

Bounou, the winner of the first edition of the African MVP award for LaLiga Santander last season, was also one of the contenders. His heroic performance in the penalty shootout against AS Roma helped FC Sevilla win another title in the Europa League, the seventh for the club and the second for the Moroccan goalkeeper.

But it was ultimately Chukwueze who was crowned the African MVP of LaLiga Santander in 2022/23. The Nigerian international was a constant threat to the Villarreal CF attack and returned to his best form after a frustrating absence due to injury. His 155 dribbles place him among the top three players in LaLiga Santander this season while becoming one of the most exciting players in LaLiga.

One of Chukwueze's most remarkable performances this season was scoring two sensational goals in the 2-3 victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu, making headlines worldwide.

Perhaps Chukwueze's club teammate, Senegalese Nicolas Jackson, didn't excite the supporters or the judging journalists enough this time, but he certainly caught the attention of the football world with his 12 goals in his first season in LaLiga Santander.

"We want to congratulate Samuel Chukwueze for winning the African MVP award of LaLiga Santander 2022/2023. He has been one of the stars of LaLiga for several years and fully deserves the African MVP award of LaLiga Santander. This season has once again been marked by the fantastic performances of elite African players in LaLiga Santander, ensuring that the interest in LaLiga continues to grow rapidly among supporters on the African continent. We would like to thank the thousands of football supporters who voted for the African MVP of LaLiga Santander, as well as the esteemed journalists who dedicated their time to help us determine the winner of this exciting competition that we are very proud of," said Marcos Pelegrín, General Manager of LaLiga Santander in Africa.

LaLiga will soon announce the name of the African supporter who has won a trip to attend a LaLiga match live as part of the African MVP of LaLiga Santander contest.