Check out the African Players vying for the 2023 Ballon d’Or
The Ballon d’Or is one of the most prestigious awards in the world of football. This celebrated award recognises the individual excellence and outstanding performance of football players across the globe. In 1995, George Weah made history by becoming the first African to claim the Ballon d’Or, and he remains the only African player to have won the award.
In this blog post, we will take a closer look at some of the most skilled and noteworthy African footballers who have been nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or.
- Asisat Oshoala
Asisat Oshoala is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for the Spanish club Barcelona and the Nigeria women’s national team. She is widely recognised as one of the greatest African female footballers of all time and one of the finest in the world, having won African Women’s Footballer of the Year a record five times. Oshoala has won the UEFA Women’s Champions League, the Copa de la Reina, and the Spanish Primera División with Barcelona. She has also twice been awarded the best player in the Spanish league. Oshoala has twice won the African Women’s Championship as well as the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She is the first African woman to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or award.
- Yassine Bounou
Yassine Bounou, often known as Bono, is a Moroccan professional football goalkeeper who plays for Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal as well as the Moroccan national team. At the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022, he became the first African player to have three clean sheets in a World Cup. Bounou was nominated for the Ballon d’Or, making him the first Moroccan keeper to get the honour. He was also nominated for the Yachine Trophy, which is given to the world’s greatest keeper.
- Victor Osimhen
Victor Osimhen is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Serie A club Napoli and the Nigeria national team. Osimhen has been nominated for the Golden Boy Award, given to Europe’s best young player. In addition, he was selected as the African Young Player of the Year in 2021. Osimhen has represented Nigeria 18 times at the international level. He was a member of Nigeria’s squad that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2015. Osimhen is considered to be one of the best young strikers in the world.
- Andre Onana
André Onana is a professional football goalkeeper from Cameroon. He currently plays for Manchester United in the Premier League and represents the Cameroon national team. Onana was voted the best goalkeeper in the Dutch league and played a key role in Inter’s journey to the Champions League Final in 2023. Since joining Manchester United, he has continued to achieve great success and is considered one of the top contenders for the Yachine Trophy, which recognizes the world’s best goalie. Onana was also part of the Cameroon squad that won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2017.
- Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah, popularly known as Mo Salah, is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liverpool in the Premier League as well as for Egypt’s national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world and one of the greatest African players of all time. With Liverpool, Salah has won several major titles, including the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA Club World Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup. He has also been awarded the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year, and the Premier League Golden Boot twice. This year marks his fifth nomination for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award.
Football fans around the world are excitedly awaiting the announcement of the 2023 Ballon d’Or winner on September 30th.
Although we think more African female players deserve to be in this line-up, the acknowledgement of these African players highlights their contribution to the beautiful game and serves as a source of pride for the entire continent. Regardless of who wins, let us celebrate the incredible talent and achievements of these players.
