According to The PUNCH, Super Eagles and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has been nominated for the 2018 FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award.
The only Africans on the list, which was released by FIFA on Thursday, were the Nigerian striker, Andre Onana (Cameroon), and Yassine Bounou (Morocco).
The qualifying period for the prize is between December 19, 2022 and August 10, 2023, with nominees including Argentine megastar Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
Within this period, Osimhen has scored 29 goals while helping Napoli to win the Serie A title for the first time in over three decades.
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The Nigerian is the third top scorer in the 2023 calendar, behind Haaland (35) and Mbappe (30).
Name Of People shortlisted For The Award?
England’s Declan Rice is also shortlisted for the FIFA prize, alongside Manchester City Treble winners Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Julian Alvarez.
Lionesses Rachel Daly, Alex Greenwood, Lauren James and Keira Walsh have been nominated for the women’s award.
Aitana Bonmati, the World Cup Golden Ball winner, joins them on the list, as do fellow world champions Jennifer Hermoso, Mapi Leon, and Salma Paralluelo.
Ange Postecoglou, Pep Guardiola, Simone Inzaghi, Luciano Spalletti, and Xavi are all up for the best men’s coach award.
Chelsea boss Emma Hayes and England manager Sarina Wiegman have been put up for the women’s coach award, though Jorge Vilda is absent from the list.
Ange Postecoglou is nominated for the best men’s coach award, alongside Pep Guardiola, Simone Inzaghi, Luciano Spalletti and Xavi.
England’s Mary Earps is one of six stoppers nominated for the women’s goalkeeper award and will be up against Catalino Coll of Barcelona and Chelsea’s Zecira Musovic.
Champions League final goalkeepers Ederson and Andre Onana will be at loggerheads again for the men’s award, with Thibaut Courtois, Yassine Bounou and Marc-Andre ter Stegen also in the hunt.
The nominees for the Puskas Award will be announced September 21.
Voting for all individual awards will open on Thursday, September 14 and close on Friday, October 6.
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