Follow Us on Google
By Rasaq Oboirien
African top marksman in the Italian Serie A and top goal scorer for last season, Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Super Falcons star, Asisat have been listed among the nominees for 2023 Ballon d’Or.
France Football and L’Equipe released on Wednesday the 30 nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or for men and women categories. Evidently, the 30-man list includes firm favourites like 2022 World Cup winner with Argentina and 7-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, free-scoring PSG striker Kylian Mbappé and treble-winning Manchester City’s free-scoring Erling Haaland.
Osimhen and three other Africans Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt), André Onana (Manchester United, Cameroon) and Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal, Morocco) all made the list.
Besides, five-times Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out. 2018 Ballon d’Or recipient Luka Modric made the cut.
For the 2023 Ballon d’Or Féminin, Oshoala was recognised as one of world football’s elite women players on the 30 nominees.
Oshoala’s recognition came as no surprise, following an outstanding 12 months in which she was integral to Super Falcons impressive run in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, as well as consistently starring for Barcelona in the Spanish Women’s League. The reigning African woman Player of the Year, is the only woman player from the continent to make the lists of nominees which was first presented in 2018.
The 2023 Ballon d’Or prize-giving ceremony will be held at Paris’ Théâtre du Châtelet on Monday October 30th.
