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Nigerian forward, Victor Osimhen bag 2023 FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award nomination

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Nigeria and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen, has entered the list of elite African footballers to be nominated for the prestigious 2023 Best FIFA Men’s Player of the Year Award.

Osimhen was unveiled by World football governing body, FIFA, alongside 11 other star players as a nominee on its official website, Thursday, September 14, 2023.

Osimhen’s inclusion in the 12-player shortlist stems us coming a few days after he was named in the 30-man list of nominees for the 2023 Ballon D’or which is the pinnacle of awards for players across the globe.

The Nigerian star striker’s nomination is a well deserved honour following his sterling performances in the Italian Serie A in the 2022/2023 season where he was instrumental to the team’s first Scudetto win since 1990, scoring 26 goals to emerge top scorer in thr league.

With that feat, Osimhen also became the first African player to win the Golden Boot in the Serie A.

On the African continent, the Lagos-born Osimhen was also in free scoring form, chiming in with 10 goals in the recently concluded AFCON qualifiers.

To win the 2023 FIFA Men’s Player of the Year Award, football fans around the world would have the chance of casting their votes for their favorite players across various categories.

According to the voting process amnounced by the football governing body, fans will have the opportunity to vote via FIFA.com, with a combined input from an international jury comprising national team captains, coaches, and select global journalists.

The voting period for fans commenced on Thursday, September 14 and will concludes at midnight on Friday, October 6, 2023.

The stipulated qualification period for the Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 extends from December 19, 2022, to August 20, 2023, a day after the end of the FIFA World Cup 2022.

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Ghanaian winger Fatawu out for season with ACL injury

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Ghana and Leicester City winger, Abdul Fatawu, has been ruled out of the rest of the EPL season after suffering an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury during Ghana’s 1-1 draw with Angola in a 2025 AFCON match during the international break.

Leicester coach, Steve Cooper, who announced the news on Thursday, said the 20-year-old enterprising player suffered a “serious” knee injury which will see him out for the rest of the season.

“It’s not good, it’s a serious injury,” Cooper said ahead of his side’s home tie against Chelsea on Saturday.

“He’s had an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury that is going to rule him out for the rest of the season. It’s a real blow, first and foremost for him, being a young player and having an injury as serious as what an ACL is.

“Albeit, it can be quite common in sport and in particular football, but it’s still a serious injury. For it to happen at a young age is a blow for him and a blow for us as well.

“He’s obviously a big talent and a young player, as exciting as he can be at his age, with lots to learn.

“It’s only a pause and we will make sure, as difficult as it is at the moment for him, that he comes back being a stronger player and person, which with the mentality and character that he has, I think will be the case,” the gaffer said.

Fatawu has been a key player for the Foxes, helping them gain promotion last season and has played 11 times for them in the league during the present campaign, scoring two goals.

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SA football legend Lucas ‘Masterpieces’ Moripe passes away

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South African football legend, Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe, has passed away at the age of 71 after a long battle with illness.

According to South African media, Moripe lit up the country’s football fields in the 1970s and became a rallying point for football in the country, especially in the apartheid era.

“Moripe, who mesmerised opponents and spectators alike during an injury ravaged career, spent his last years confined to a wheelchair after suffering a stroke, and died at his home on Tuesday at the age of 71,” one media report said.

“Moripe, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players the country has produced by those who saw him play, was called “the god of football”’ by adoring fans during the early 1970s in a nod to his natural talents.

“He was feared by defenders and goalkeepers and his style of play was synonymous with flair, finesse and the golden era of South African football.

“In recent years Moripe was confined to a wheelchair after suffering a mild stroke that was worsened by the effects of a long-term knee injury that stopped his playing career in the late 1980s.

“Throughout his career, Moripe played for the Orlando Pirates and the Pretoria Callies, winning the respect of both teammates and supporters.

“In 2010, the Atteridgeville Super Stadium was renamed the Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe Stadium in honor of his noteworthy achievements to South African football. Major football games are still held at this stadium, which now stands as a tribute to his legacy.

“Moripe’s career highlights include leading Pretoria Callies to victory against top clubs and earning the 1973 NPSL Player of the Year and Sportsman of the Year titles.

“He also played internationally for Caroline Hill in Hong Kong and briefly for Orlando Pirates. Persistent knee injuries ended his playing career in the late 1980s.”

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