The ceremony for naming the best player of the year will take place on December 11, 2023 during the CAF Awards in Rabat. The Confederation of African Football has revealed a final list of 10 nominated players.
Among the African football nations honored by CAF with the title of Golden Ball of the year 2023, Morocco tops the list with four players out of 10 nominated for the title of best player of the year. This is Achraf Hakimi, member of Paris Saint Germain in France. From his Moroccan national team teammates Sofyan Amrabat, Yassine Boubou and Youssef En-Nesyri. Morocco is followed by Cameroon which has two players including the captain of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon Vincent Aboubacar, resident of the Turkish club Besiktas. André Franck Zambo Anguissa, playing in Italy for the Naples club, is also on the list of 10 players selected by the Confederation of African Football.
Algeria has only one representative including Riyad Mahrez. Nigeria is represented by Victor Osimhen, teammate of Cameroonian Zambo Anguissa in Naples. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool player in England and finalist of the 2021 African Cup in Cameroon, represents Egypt. Senegal is led by Sadio Mané, player of Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. His injury which deprived him of the Qatari World Cup is a big handicap to retain his coronation from last year. The final verdict will tell us. Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate previously at Bayern Munich did not have a good performance in the Bundesliga. Against all expectations, he left the German club to take refuge in Saudi Arabia. For this season, the title holder despite the victory at the African Cup of Nations (CAN 2021) will face strong competitors. Recent semi-finalists at the Qatar 2022 World Cup, Morocco has four players whose standard bearer is Paris Saint Germain player Achraf Hakimi. He will try to succeed the Senegalese Sadio Mané.
The award ceremony planned for Rabat will be held in view of the big names in African football nominated. Moreover, Mohamed Salah, whose performance has still coveted the title for years, is a serious competitor with the Nigerian Victor Osimhen, author of a flamboyant season and top scorer in the Italian championship during the last season with his club Naples. In the race for this great distinction, we also find the outsiders. Among the latter, Cameroonian midfielder André Franck Zambo Anguissa who had a good performance with Naples last season but exited in the first round of the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, with a victory against Brazil. His teammate and captain Vincent Aboubacar, top scorer in the last CAN, is on the list of outsiders. Performing well at club level and scoring magnificent goals at club level last season. The African Golden Ball will therefore be unveiled on December 11, 2023 in Rabat, during the CAF Awards. WHO ? To succeed Sadio Mané in this high distinction in African football because his absence from the world championship seems to work to his disadvantage.
J. Patrick DJON
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