Sports

Ballon d’Or: Do African nominees, Mane, Salah, Mahrez, Haller, Oshoala stand any chance?

Published

2 years ago

August 13, 2022

It is pleasant news that five African players have been nominated for the Ballon d’Or award with Egypt and Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah, topping the list.

Other African stars, Sadio Mane of Senegal, Algerian Riyad Mahrez, Ivory Coast striker, Sebastien Haller and Nigerian Super Falcons and Barcelona striker, Asisat Oshoala, also made the shortlist released on Friday.

So far, former Liberian captain, George Weah, is the only African to have won the Ballon d’Or award which he picked up in 1995 while playing for AC Milan.

With the five African stars nominated to battle the likes of France and Real Madrid striker, Karim Benzema, and his national team mate, Killian Mbape of PSG, it is left to be seen if the continent stars stand any chance of following in Weah’s footsteps.

Here, Africanewswatch takes a look at the five and their chances of picking the prestigious award.

Mohamed Salah

This is the fourth time the Egyptian forward will be getting a Ballon d’Or nomination with his best finish being fifth position in 2019. In 2018, he was sixth in 2018, and seventh in 2021.

This could be Salah’s best chance of winning the award after scooping the Premier League PFA Players’ Player of the Year Award last seasonThe Liverpool striker scored 31 goals in all competitions (23 in the league) and 15 assists for Liverpool to win the Premier League Golden Boot Award as the Reds won the FA and Carabao Cups and reached the Champions League final.

Mohamed Salah with his PFA award (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

The only setback to an otherwise fantastic season was Egypt losing the 2021 Afcon to a Sadio Mané inspired Senagal in Cameroon as well as missing the 2022 World Cup.

Sadio Mané

Sadio Mané’s status as the reigning African Player of the Year should propel him to give the award a big shout following his brilliant form for club and country.

The Senegal and Bayern Munich strike star netted 23 goals for Liverpool in the EPL, won the FA and Carabao Cups, reached the final of the Champions League, led Senegal to her first Afcon trophy before ending with the African Player of the Year.

African player of the year, Sadio Mane (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

To add to a spectacular year, Mane was instrumental to qualifying Senegal for the Qatar World Cup at the expense of Egypt.

Three years ago, Mane was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or where he finished fourth behind Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk.

Riyad Mahrez

Algerian captain and Manchester City winger, Riyad Mahrez is another African star who has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or after a fantastic season for the EPL Champions where he scored 24 goals and notched up nine assists as Pep Guardiola’s men romped to the Premier League title.

He also scored crucial goals as Man City reached the semi finals of the Champions League and the FA Cup.

Riyad Mahrez is also in with a shout (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

He could, however, not replicate his fine club form for Algeria following a dismal outing at the Afcon in Cameroon as they were eliminated in the group stage.

Mahrez has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or three times before now.

Sebastien Haller

From every indication, Sebastien Haller of Ivory Coast is an outsider when it comes to winning the Ballon d’Or even with his impressive outing for Ajax last season.

He was the Dutch club’s highest goal scorer with 34 goals and seven assists in all competitions and won the Eredivisie Golden Boot Award after scoring 21 league goals.

Sebastien Haller may just be making up the number (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

But the newly signed Borussia Dortmund forward did not have a great run for the national team as the Ivorians were knocked out of the Afcon by Egypt in the round of 16.

Asisat Oshoala

Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Barcelona forward, Asisat Oshoala is the only African female player nominated in the women’s category, following a fantastic season with the Spanish team where she scored 20 goals and took home the women Pichichi award.

Oshoala was a strong force in the Barca attack as they won the league, Super Cup and Copa de la Reina titles.

She also won the female version of the African Player of the Year for the fifth time, the first by any player in the continent.

Asisat Oshoala is the first African woman to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

However, her chances of winning the Ballon d’Or got slimmer after the Super Falcons failed to retain their Women’s Africa Cup of Nations crown in Morocco where she played only one match after suffering an injury in their tournament’s first match.

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Sports

South Africa FA President Danny Jordaan detained. Here’s why

Published

2 hours ago

November 17, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Danny Jordaan, the president of the South African Football Association (SAFA), was taken into custody on Wednesday on suspicion of misusing the organization’s funds for personal gain.

On Tuesday, Jordaan, who played a key role in securing South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 World Cup, attempted to have his impending arrest stopped by a court. The case is postponed until Dec. 5.

The matter has been postponed until December 5. Jordaan, who was given 20,000 rand ($1,110) bail, says he has done nothing wrong.

The police raid on the SAFA headquarters in March is what led to the arrest.

Between 2014 and 2018, “the president of SAFA used the organization’s resources for his gain, including hiring a private security company for his protection and a public relations company, without authorisation from the SAFA board,” according to a police spokesperson at the time.

Jordaan, 73, appeared in Palm Ridge magistrates court together with his co-accused, SAFA chief financial officer Gronie Hluyo, and businessman Trevor Neethling, who was also given bail.

They have been advised not to communicate with any of the 19 possible state witnesses on the list who may testify against them.

Sports

Ghanaians in tears as Black Stars fail to make AFCON 2025y

Published

1 day ago

November 16, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Ghanaians in tears as Black Stars fail to make AFCON 202

Football lovers in Ghana have been thrown into sadness following the failure of their national team, the Black Stars, to qualify for the 2025 AFCON, the first time in 20 years.

The four-time African champions missed out on the continental soccer fiesta after a lackluster 1-1 draw against Angola on Friday night.

The Black Stars needed to win away in Luanda to take their qualification bid to the final round of Group F fixtures and looked on course when captain Jordan Ayew opened scoring for the visitors on 18 minutes, 6 only for Ambrosini ‘Zini’ Salvador to equalise after 64 minutes for already-qualified Group F winners Angola.

The draw left Ghana bottom of the table with three points, four adrift of Sudan in the second qualifying place, with one round of match left.

In other matches played on Friday, minnows Comoros defied all odds to qualify for the tournament scheduled for Morocco next year alongside Mali, Zambia and Zimbabwe, bringing the number of countries that have so far qualified to 19, with five places up for grabs to complete the 24-team finalsyy.

Kamory Doumbia’s first-half goal gave Mali a 1-0 win in Mozambique, with the game going ahead in Maputo despite street protests following last month’s disputed presidential election to book their spot in Morocco.

Zambia moved to the summit of Group G after registering a surprise 1-0 home victory over reigning continental champions Ivory Coast, although the Elephants were already through before kick-off with the result ending Sierra Leone’s hopes of qualification.

Comoros will return to the finals after Myziane Maolida’s 90th-minute winner clinched a 2-1 victory away against The Gambia and eliminated the Scorpions in Group A.

Gambia needed at least a point to remain in the hunt and led in the 18th minute through Alassana Jatta but Rafiki Said quickly equalised for the islanders.

Comoros, who reached the last 16 on its debut at the 2021 finals but missed out on the 2023 edition, join Tunisia in progressing from Group A.

Zimbabwe needed just a point from their home game against Kenya to secure a top-two spot in Group J, and saw out a 1-1 draw against the Harambee Stars to ensure they progress alongside Cameroon.

Elsewhere, Botswana missed the opportunity to book just their second appearance at the Nations Cup after drawing 1-1 at home against Mauritania in Group C while Cape Verde were eliminated after a 1-1 stalemate at home against already-qualified Egypt.

Botswana will now need a point from their trip to Egypt on Tuesday to qualify, while Mauritania will finish second in the group if they win at home against Cape Verde and the Zebras are beaten in Cairo.

Meanwhile, South Africa defeated Uganda 2-0 in Group K and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz scored twice as tournament hosts Morocco came from behind to win 5-1 against Gabon in Group B as all four teams were already assured of progress before kick-off.

Teams that already qualified for AFCON 2025:

Morocco (hosts), Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Comoros, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.