Nigerian duo Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala have been shortlisted for the 2023 Ballon d’Or award in the men’s and women’s categories. The prestigious ceremony will take place in Paris on October 30.
This is remarkably the first time that two Nigerian players have been nominated for the prestigious award in the same year.
Osimhen enjoyed a phenomenal season for Napoli last time out; powering the Naples-based club to to their first Serie A title in over 30 years.
The Nigerian finished as the highest goal scorer in Italy that season with 26 goals, a feat no African player has ever achieved and he has started the new season brightly also with three goals in three games.
Osimhen’s heroics are not with his club alone as he has equally been doing great things in the Green and White colours of Nigeria a feat that earned in a national honour bestowed on him by the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
Osimhen has been a key player for the Super Eagles, helping them to qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with a game to spare. He is equally the top scorer in the qualifying series; highlighting his pivotal role in the campaign.
The other nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or include Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, Erling Halland, Mohamed Salah, and Bukayo Saka among others.
Oshoala, meanwhile, has been in equally impressive form for Barcelona Femeni helping them to a historic treble last season with the climax being the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
She, 28, scored 21 goals in the domestic league to emerge as joint-top scorer in Spain. Her exploits were quickly followed by a round of 16 outing with the Super Falcons at the recently-ended Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Here is a list of nominees for the 2023 Women’s Ballon d’Or:
Khadija Shaw (Man City), Mapi Leon (Barcelona), Mary Earps (Man United), Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona), Wendie Renard (Lyon), Katie Mccabe (Arsenal), Jill Roord (Wolfsburg and Man City), Yui Hasegawa (Man City), Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg), Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona), Debinha (Kansas City), Sam Kerr (Chelsea) Reiten (Chelsea)Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg), Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona), Daphne Van Domselaar (Twente and Aston Villa), Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg), Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai and Man United), Millie Bright(Chelsea), Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona), Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns), Hayley Raso (Man City and Real Madrid), Amanda Ilestedt (PSG and Arsenal), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Olga Ramona (Real Madrid), Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona), Rachel Daly (Aston Villa), Alba Redondo (Levante), Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid), Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon).
