Former Italian manager, Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro, captain Ahmed Musa, coach of The Gambia Tom Saintfiet, Roberto Mancini, Ghana Black Stars captain, André Ayew and São Tomé and Príncipe coach, Adriano Eusébio were among the few that voted Nigeria’s star forward, Victor Osimhen for the 2023 The Best FIFA Football Award.
Osimhen emerged 5th with 24points behind winner Lionel Messi (48 points), Erling Haaland (48 points), Kylian Mbappe (35 points) and Kevin De Bruyne (32 points).
Messi and Aitana Bonmati were named winners of The Best Men’s and Women’s Player prizes at a glittering London ceremony on Monday night.
National team coaches and captains, as well as expert journalists and fans voted for the awards.
Both Peseiro and Musa gave Osimhen five (5) votes each while Nigeria’s Media Representative favoured both Manchester City and PSG stars Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé ahead of Osimhen, as he gave the Napoli striker one vote.
The captains of Guinea-Bissau Jonas Asvedo Mendes, Liberia- William Jebor, Mali- Hamari Traoré and Kosovo Amir Rrahmani, each gave Osimhen their maximum five (5) votes, while André Ayew gave the Nigerian three (3) votes.
Coach of The Gambia Tom Saintfiet gave Osimhen five (5) votes, as the Nigerian earned one vote each from coaches of São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia and Senegal respectively.
The Media Representatives from Guinea Alpha Mady Touré, Guinea-Bissau Sene Camará, Italy Pierluigi Pardo, Morocco Jalal Bouzrara and Mozambique Joaoarnaldo Carlija Chivale did give the newly crowned African Player of the Year their votes.
