There was wild jubilation in Nigeria after the duo of Super Eagles and Super Falcons players, Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala were nominated for the 2022 FIFA Best Football Awards following their outstanding performances in the calendar year.
But, they did not get a single top vote or nomination from their country’s coaches, captains and journalist. Sad.
CONVERSEER gathered that those allowed to vote for the ultimate prize in football include, national team coaches and captains, journalists and fans.
In the award held on Monday, February 27, 2023, in Paris, France – Alexia Putellas of Spain and Barcelona Femeni, and Lionel Messi of Argentina and PSG were crowned as the outstanding female and male players of the past year.
Regardless, Osimhen and Oshoala were snubbed by their Super Eagles and Super Falcons coaches, Jose Peseiro and Randy Waldrum; Super Eagles and Super Falcon’s captains, Ahmed Musa and Onome Ebi and the only qualified journalist in the Nigerian media, Ibikunle Solaja.
Osimhen’s 2022 year in review has been described as one of the finest, with the forward netting 20 goals for his Italian club side, Napoli and impressing for his national team as well. The 24-year-old also beat Barcelona and Real Madrid’s midfielders, Gavi and Federico (Fede) Valverde to win the ‘Emerging Player of The Year’ at the Globe Soccer Awards.
Similarly, Oshoala won the Pichichi award, the prize for the top goal scorer in the Spanish league in 2022. The 5-time African Women’s Player of The Year also scored 20 goals in 19 games for Barcelona Femeni same year to finish joint-top scorer in the Spanish topflight despite missing 2 months through injury and helping them to the domestic treble: La Liga, Copa de la Reina and the Spanish Super Cup.
Despite the scintillating performances, the duo did not get a top vote from their compatriots, Peseiro, Waldrum, Musa, Ebi and Solaja. Instead, they opted for foreign players.
In their voting, coach Peseiro opted for Karim Benzema as his best player, while he had Lionel Messi and Kevin De Bruyne in second and third places; and coach Waldrum voted for Beth Mead to win the award, with Sam Kerr and Putellas coming in second and third places.
Captain Musa followed his coach’s part by ignoring Osimhen in his selection as he voted for Messi, Benzema and Mbappe, in that order, to win the award. Also, captain Ebi opted for Oshoala’s Barcelona teammate Putellas as her first pick, while Aitana Bonmatí and Wendie Renard completed her voting in second and third.
For journalist Solaja, he voted Messi as his winner with Mbappe and Benzema as his second and third picks in the men’s category, while in the women, he voted for the trio of Alex Morgan, Alexandra Popp and Leah Williamson.
Nigerians have frowned at the decisions of the coaches, captains and journalist, saying, even though they have their choices, at least, they could have been a place for their compatriots in their nominations.
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In other countries, their players enjoyed that luxury as their national team coaches and captains and journalists voted for them.
France’s Didier Deschamps chose Kylian Mbappe as his first choice, while Benzema and Messi followed suit.
Egyptian Pharaoh’s coach, Rui Vitoria also went for Mohamed Salah as his preferred choice for the award, while Messi and Mbappe were nominated as second and third.
Both Brazil and Argentina coaches, Adenor Bachi and Lionel Scaloni also selected their players (Neymar and Messi) for the top prize.
Furthermore, Morocco and France’s captains, Romain Saiss voted for their compatriots. Saiss voted for his national teammate, Achraf Hakimi to win the award, while Benzema and Mbappe completed his voting, just as Lloris opted for his fellow Frenchman, Mbappe to win the award with Benzema and Messi completing his selection.
