Oshoala, Osimhen set record with 2023 Ballon d’Or nomination

Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen has become the first Nigerian male footballer in 24 years to get nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award as Super Falcons star, Asisat Oshoala also got nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or women’s player of the year award for the second successive year.

The Super Eagles star striker, who has scored 17 goals in 25 international appearances, becomes the first Nigerian to be nominated for the prestigious prize since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.

The Napoli forward also becomes the 7th Nigerian male footballer and 8th Nigerian player to earn a Ballon D’Or award nomination after Finidi George (1995), Austin Jay-Jay Okocha (1995), Daniel Amokachi (1995), Nwankwo Kanu (1996, 1999), Victor Ikpeba (1997), Sunday Oliseh (1998), and Asisat Oshoala(2022, 2023).

It was a historic day for Nigeria as Osimhen restored the glory of the Super Eagles since 1999 and Oshoala continued to stamp her feet as the best African player after she wrote her name in the history books by becoming the first female African player to get the Ballon d’Or nomination in 2022, finishing in the 16th position among the shortlisted 30 players.

Oshoala, who is the reigning Africa women’s player of the year, scored 21 goals in just 28 games to lead FC Barcelona to the 2022/23 Spanish league title and was the Spanish club’s top-scorer with 27 goals in all competitions.

The 28-year-old was instrumental as Barcelona retained their domestic title and won the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

At the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, 5-time record African Player of the Year award winner Oshoala made history as the first Nigerian and first female African player to score at three different editions of the FIFA World Cup. She has now scored 31 goals and won the Women’s African Cup of nations three times with the Super Falcons.

Super Eagles striker, Victor Osimhen makes the list of 30 star players nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or men’s award alongside Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi and Man City forward Erling Haaland.

The Napoli striker scored 26 Serie A goals last season to guide the Partenopei to the Scudetto for the first time in more than three decades.

Nigerian forward, Victor Osimhen has been nominated alongside Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi and Man City forward Erling Haaland for the 2023 Ballon d’Or men’s award.

Osimhen is currently one of the best players in Europe and he is in superb form, continuing his goalscoring form at Napoli where he has now scored 62 goals in 103 appearances.

The Nigerian striker scored 26 goals and added 4 assists in 32 league appearances to emerge as the highest goal scorer and lead Partenopei to their first Serie A title in 33 years.

The 24-year-old was the first African player to achieve the feat he is also currently the highest-scoring African in the Italian top flight after eclipsing the old record set by former Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o.

Osimhen will compete with favourite and seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi and a plethora of other European superstars.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 30.