Sports
SEE FULL LIST: Osimhen, Oshoala nominated for 2023 Ballon d’Or
Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala have both been nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards in the men and women categories respectively.
The list, announced by France Football Magazine, sees both players shortlisted alongside 29 players in the men and women categories respectively.
Osimhen led Napoli to the Serie A title last season — the club’s first in 33 years.
The Super Eagles striker also scored 25 league goals to become the league’s highest goalscorer, setting the record as the first African footballer to achieve the feat.
The 24-year-old also led his country to AFCON 2024 qualification where he is also the leading goalscorer in the series.
Oshoala, five-time African footballer of the year winner, became the first African player to score at three Women’s World Cups.
She was also part of a Barcelona feminine side that clinched a treble of trophies including League title, Spanish Supercopa and Champions League.
She scored 21 league goals in 28 games last season.
The 28-year-old is the only female representative from Africa for the second consecutive year.
Other notable nominees in the men’s category include Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.
Manchester City have seven players in the men’s nominees list.
Cristiano Ronaldo, five-time winner of the award, was however not nominated for the first time since 2003.
The winners of the award will be announced at a ceremony on October 30.
Men’s list of nominees:
Victor Osimhen (Napoli, Nigeria)
Andre Onana (Manchester United, Cameroon)
Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad, France)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, Egypt)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal, England)
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
Randal Kolo Muani (Paris St-Germain, France)
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City, Portugal)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli, Georgia)
Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan, Italy)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal, Norway)
Ilkay Gundogan (Barcelona, Germany)
Yassine Bounou (Sevilla, Morocco)
Julian Alvarez (Manchester City, Argentina)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid, Brazil)
Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid, France)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Argentina)
Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona, Poland)
Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich, South Korea)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)
Kylian Mbappe (Paris St-Germain, France)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City, Croatia)
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Full list of women nominees:
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and Barcelona)
Aitana Bonmati (Spain and Barcelona)
Millie Bright (England and Chelsea)
Linda Caicedo (Colombia and Real Madrid)
Olga Carmona (Spain and Real Madrid)
Rachel Daly (England and Aston Villa)
Debinha (Brazil and North Carolina Courage/Kansas City)
Kadidiatou Diani (France and Lyon)
Mary Earps (England and Manchester United)
Patricia Guijarro (Spain and Barcelona)
Yui Hasegawa (Japan and Manchester City)
Amanda Ilestedt (Sweden and Paris St-Germain/Arsenal)
Sam Kerr (Australia and Chelsea)
Mapi Leon (Spain and Barcelona)
Katie McCabe (Republic of Ireland and Arsenal)
Hinata Miyazawa (Japan and MyNavi Sendai/Manchester United)
Lena Oberdorf (Germany and Wolfsburg)
Ewa Pajor (Poland and Wolfsburg)
Salma Paralluelo (Spain and Barcelona)
Alexandra Popp (Germany and Wolsburg)
Hayley Raso (Australia and Man City/Real Madrid)
Alba Redondo (Spain and Levante)
Guro Reiten (Norway and Chelsea)
Wendie Renard (France and Lyon)
Fridolina Rolfo (Sweden and Barcelona)
Jill Roord (Netherlands and Wolfsburg/Manchester City)
Khadija Shaw (Jamaica and Manchester City)
Sophia Smith (United States and Portland Thorns)
Georgia Stanway (England and Bayern Munich)
Daphne van Domselaar (Netherlands and Twente/Aston Villa)
Sports
Olympic sprinter Fred Kerley arrested by police
United States Olympic sprinter Fred Kerley was tasered and arrested by police following a confrontation with officers in Miami, Florida.
The 29-year-old, who won 100m bronze at last summer’s Paris Games, faces charges of battery, resisting a police officer and breach of the peace following the incident on Thursday evening.
Officers were investigating another incident when Kerley approached them with an “aggressive demeanour” over concern about his car, according to a police report.
The report said Kerley “continued to resist officers and used evasive movements to avoid being arrested” before being wrestled to the ground by four officers.
Police bodycam footage shows Kerley getting back to his feet then being tasered and falling back to the floor before being taken into custody.
Local media in Miami reported, external that on Friday Kerley made an appearance in court and he has now been released on bail.
His lawyer said the incident had been a “total misunderstanding”.
As well as his bronze in Paris, Kerley also won 100m silver at the Tokyo Games in 2021 and gold at the 2022 World Championships.
He has also won world 4x100m and 4x400m gold medals, and has recorded the sixth-fastest 100m time in history with 9.76 seconds.
Sports
Gift Orban joins Hoffenheim after one year at Olympique Lyon
Gift Orban, former Super Eagles invitee, has completed a move to Germany’s Hoffenheim from Olympique Lyon.
The German Bundesliga side announced the 22-year-old centre forward’s signature in a post on their X handle.
Orban signed a four-year deal and will wear jersey number 14 at his new club.
The move ends Orban’s torrid one-year spell at Lyon, in which he featured in 21 matches, scoring only five times.
He has only played five times this season, playing three Ligue 1 and two Europa League games, respectively.
The pacey striker has not been included in nine of the last 10 league matches for Lyon. Orban’s previous league appearance was on September 22, while he last played in a match for the former French League champions in the Europa League, coincidentally against his new club. The game ended 2-2, with Orban lasting 62 minutes before substitution.
Orban, who scored 32 goals in 52 matches for Genk before his move to Lyon, posted on his X that he handled his excitement about swapping France for Germany. He described his new home as “wonderful.”
“New year, new adventures! Excited to be part of This Wonderful Club Hoffenheim,” said Orban.
Andreas Schicker, Hoffenheim’s sporting director, was also excited about the player’s joining the club and believed his attacking skills would improve the struggling side.
“In Gift Orban, we have found exactly the fast striker with good depth that we were looking for. He has proven time and time again his goalscoring talent and his enjoyment of playing.
“We are therefore confident that he will bring our team greater offensive variability thanks to his abilities.”
Sports
AC Milan appoints Sergio Conceicao as new coach
Sergio Conceicao was named the new coach of AC Milan replacing his fellow Portuguese Paulo Fonseca who was sacked earlier on Monday, the Serie A club announced.
“AC Milan announces that Sergio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceicao has been appointed as the Head Coach of the men’s first team until June 30, 2026,” Milan said in a statement.
Conceicao takes over a Milan side that lies eighth in Serie A, eight points off the Champions League places.
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