Nigeria and Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen, a has been included on the final 12-player shortlist for the Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award, while his compatriot, Asisat Oshoala was dropped for the women’s version, reports jerrymusa.com
FIFA The Best: Some of the nominees
Following the failure of his compatriot Asisat Oshola to make the final shortlist for the women’s category of the prestigious awards, the list, which was released by the world football organisation on Thursday, showed the Napoli forward as the only African still in the running for the most coveted individual award in football.
The nominees for the award are the captain of Argentina, Lionel Messi, the Frenchman Kylian Mbappe, and the Norwegian striker Erling Haaland of Manchester City. The qualification period for the award runs from December 19, 2022, to August 10, 2023.
Osimhen contributed to Napoli’s first Serie A championship in more than three decades during this time by scoring 29 goals. He was also nominated for the league’s Team of the Season and finished the previous season as Serie A’s top scorer.
More players from the shortlist
The other athletes on the shortlist are Bernado Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, Rodrigo Cascante, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kevin De Bruyne, Julian Alvarez, Marcelo Brozovic, and Marcelo Brozovic.
Oshoala’s colleagues from Barcelona Femini, Jennifer Hermoso and Aitana Bonmati, are among the other athletes included on FIFA’s shortlist for the prize in the women’s category.
Others include Mapi León, Hinata Miyazawa, Salma Paralluelo, Keira Walsh, Linda Caicedo, Rachel Daly, Kadidiatou Diani, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Alex Greenwood, and Lindsey Horan. Amanda Ilestedt, Lauren James, Sam Kerr, and Amanda Ilestedt are also included.
Fifa men’s goalkeeper award list
The final five-man list for the Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Award included African goalkeepers Andre Onana and Yassine Bounou, who represent Cameroon and Morocco, respectively.
With Sevilla, Bounou won the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League and was selected as the league’s Team of the Season. Onana, with Inter Milan, won the 2022 Supercoppa Italiana and the Coppa Italia.
Marc-André ter Stegen, Ederson Santana de Moraes, and Thibaut Courtois are additional candidates for the goalkeeper’s prize.