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Nominees for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2023 revealed

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Less than a month after the final whistle blew at the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup™ final, the nominations have been announced for the eighth edition of The Best FIFA Football Awards™.

The nominees were shortlisted by a panel of football experts who reviewed longer lists compiled by FIFA based on the candidates’ achievements during the respective award eligibility periods (see below). Voting is now open across the various categories, with the international jury being comprised of national team captains and coaches, journalists, and fans from all over the world.

Performances at the record-breaking FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ are reflected in The Best FIFA Women’s Player nominees. Adidas Golden Ball winner Aitana Bonmatí leads a quartet of Spanish nominees. Four players from tournament runners-up England and a trio of Matildas – who were a victory away from reaching the final on home soil – are also part of a 16-player shortlist.

Half of the candidates for The Best FIFA Men’s Player were part of Manchester City FC’s 2022-23 treble-winning squad, while coach Pep Guardiola, is nominated for The Best FIFA Men’s Coach alongside four of his peers. Meanwhile, the 2021 and 2022 winners of The Best FIFA Women’s Coach – Emma Hayes and Sarina Wiegman – feature among the quintet nominated in this category.

The FIFA Puskás Award is guaranteed to generate hundreds of thousands of votes each year, with the prize recognising the player ‘judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant goal, regardless of championship, gender or nationality and scored without the result of luck or a mistake and in support of fair play.’ The nominees will be announced on 21 September.

The winners of The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach and The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper will be selected by an international jury comprising the current coaches of all women’s national teams (one per team), the current captains of all women’s national teams (one per team), one specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team and fans from all over the world registered on FIFA.com.

The winners of The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach and The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper will be selected by an international jury comprising the current coaches of all men’s national teams (one per team), the current captains of all men’s national teams (one per team), one specialist journalist from each territory represented by a national team and fans from all over the world registered on FIFA.com.

The Best FIFA Women’s Player Nominees

Aitana Bonmatí (Spain); Linda Caicedo (Colombia); Rachel Daly (England); Kadidiatou Diani (France); Caitlin Foord (Australia); Mary Fowler (Australia); Alex Greenwood (England); Jennifer Hermoso (Spain); Lindsey Horan (USA); Amanda Ilestedt (Sweden); Lauren James (England); Sam Kerr (Australia); Mapi León (Spain); Hinata Miyazawa (Japan); Salma Paralluelo (Spain); Keira Walsh (England).

The Best FIFA Men’s Player Nominees

Julián Álvarez (Argentina); Marcelo Brozović (Croatia); Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium); İlkay Gündoğan (Germany); Erling Haaland (Norway); Rodrigo (Rodri) Hernández Cascante (Spain); Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia); Kylian Mbappé (France); Lionel Messi (Argentina); Victor Osimhen (Nigeria); Declan Rice (England); Bernardo Silva (Portugal).

The Best FIFA Women’s Coach Nominees

Peter Gerhardsson (Sweden): Jonatan Giráldez (Spain); Tony Gustavsson (Sweden); Emma Hayes (England); Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands).

The Best FIFA Men’s Coach Nominees

Pep Guardiola (Spain); Simone Inzaghi (Italy); Ange Postecoglou (Australia); Luciano Spalletti (Italy); Xavi (Spain).

The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Nominees

Mackenzie Arnold (Australia); Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany); Catalina Coll (Spain); Mary Earps (England); Christiane Endler (Chile); Zećira Mušović (Sweden); Sandra Paños García-Villamil (Spain).

The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Nominees

Yassine Bounou (Morocco); Thibaut Courtois (Belgium); Ederson (Brazil); André Onana (Cameroon); Marc-André ter Stegen (Germany).

The FIFA Fan Award Nominees

Club Atlético Colón de Santa Fe fan (Argentina); Fran Hurndall (England); Miguel Ángel, Millonarios fan (Colombia).

Award Qualifying Periods

The qualifying period for the women’s awards – The Best FIFA Women’s Player, The Best FIFA Women’s Coach and The Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper – was from 1 August 2022 to 20 August 2023, the date of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final.

For the men’s awards – The Best FIFA Men’s Player, The Best FIFA Men’s Coach and The Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper – the qualifying period was between 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023.

When does voting open?

Fan voting in all the above categories will commence on FIFA’s digital platforms on Thursday 14 September when the respective shortlisted nominees are announced, along with the candidates for The FIFA Fan Award. Voting will close at midnight CET on Friday 6 October.

Voting for the FIFA Puskás Award, which will be presented to the scorer of the best goal during the period from 19 December 2022 to 20 August 2023 inclusive, will commence on Thursday 21 September and close at midnight CET on Tuesday 10 October

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NPFL introduces Random Dope Tests for Players

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The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has moved to curb possible existence of drug abuse by players in the league.

NPFL Chairman, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye said random dope tests would be conducted in the weeks ahead following the acquisition of testing kits from the United Kingdom.

NPFL Chairman, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye;

“We are committed to joining the NFF, CAF, FIFA and the global campaign for eradication of illicit substance use in sports and this will commence soon with random tests of our players.

“We are poised to arrest and stamp out illicit drugs use in the league where it exists and we plan to collaborate with relevant government agencies to launch an enlightenment campaign which will include displays on our MatchDay stadium boards and media channels.”

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Gusau says NFF working diligently to ensure Eagles, Falcons, others attain greater heights

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 President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau on Tuesday disclosed that the football-governing body is working assiduously to ensure that all the National Teams perform much better in their competitions in the next one year, than they have done in the past year.

He made this pledge while reviewing the activities of the NFF and the teams in one year of his Board in office, and also articulating expectations for the next one year.

 While highlighting the achievements of the past year, which included a first-ever podium finish at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, quarter-final performance of the Flying Eagles at the FIFA U20 World Cup, qualification of the Super Eagles to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and best-ever outing by the Super Falcons at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, Gusau asserverated that the Board and Secretariat have worked in tandem to remove toxicity from the system and enable a more conducive environment for the game in the country.

 “One of our priorities on coming into office was to ensure that the football environment was cleansed of so much toxicity that had threatened the health of the game and made some persons feel unwelcome in the system. We have tried our best to give everyone a sense of belonging with a policy of inclusiveness.

“Off the pitch, we are proud of the work of the Interim Management Committee that we constituted to organize the last NPFL League Season, which was commended by all stakeholders, and we also feel fulfilled about the constitution of the Boards of the NNL, NWFL and NLO with vibrant, knowledgeable and competent individuals who are capable of taking the leagues to the next level. Elections into the State FAs have also been largely peaceful and successful.”

 Gusau said his board will work assiduously and diligently with the secretariat and the Federal Ministry of Sports Development to see the Super Eagles off to a great start in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying series and to win the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire early next year.

 “We also want to see the Super Falcons reclaim their African title and return to the Women Olympic Football Tournament. Our expectations include making good progress in our plan for hostel accommodation and some playing pitches for the National Teams, through the FIFA Forward 3.0 program, and also see that the U17 and U20 Women National Teams achieve their best-ever outings at their different World Cups next year.

 
“We are working already with the new NPFL Board to grow the NPFL into the product that all administrators and stakeholders desire, and also with the boards of the other Leagues to improve the state of our domestic football. To achieve all these, we need money, so we are also looking to work even harder to grow our revenue base through aggressive marketing drive.”

 
The NFF boss said his team will also not allow any FIFA window for friendly matches to go unutilized. “As you can see, we have arranged two matches for the Super Eagles in this month’s window, against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique. Mozambique is in southern Africa where three of our opponents in the World Cup qualifiers, namely Lesotho, Zimbabwe and South Africa also are. Playing Mozambique is a good opportunity for the team to have a sneak preview of what to expect against these three teams.”

 
Also at the parley were NFF Executive Committee Members H. E. Ali Silas Agara and Mr. George Aluo; NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi; Chairman of Anambra State FA, Chikelue Iloenyosi; NFF Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire; Director of Competitions, Ruth David and; Head of Member Associations, Ali Abubakar Muhammad.

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Attairu Hails Team Kwara Exploits At Asaba 2023 NYG

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Hon. Umar Mohammed Attairu, the immediate past Special Adviser, Youth and Sports Development to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has joined good people of the state to congratulate Team Kwara for better performances at the just concluded 7th National Youth Game at Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba in Delta State.

In a congratulatory message, Attairu said ” Honestly, this is a brilliant performance from Team Kwara. After about a week of intense sports activities, rivalries keenly contested by all the participating Athletes across the State, the desire of my principal Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to see Team Kwara either sustain their stand or improve the status on the National log at the 7th NYG Edition in faraway Asaba in Delta State came to pass by winning 13 Gold Medals, 13 Silver Medals and 9 Bronze Medals in various events placing them 5th on the log.”

“No doubt Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has spoken loud and clear by showing the pathway to greatness in words, quality investment in critical Sports infrastructure of international standard, reorganization, reward system for various participating Athletes representing the state in the last four years and a practical example was when two Kwara Athletes of NSF were rewarded with two brand new cars and various cash prizes accordingly early this year.

“I want to sincerely congratulate the Executive Chairman of Kwara State Sports Commission Mallam Bolakale Magaji, entire staff of the Commission, all the participating Athletes from Kwara State, coaches, Association Executives for justifying the confidence of my principal Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

“Honestly, the Governor, members of the Executive Council and relevant stakeholders in Sports industry are proud of you and your performance.

“Going forward, i want to urge you to resist all forms of distractions, continue to strive for greatness on and off the field and to further reassure all our participating Athletes that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is committed to your progressive development to becoming a core professional and relevant stakeholder of his continual support.”

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