| Asamoah Gyan | 58% |
| Didier Drogba | 14% |
| Andre Ayew | 11% |
| Samuel Eto’o | 8% |
| Yaya Toure | 3% |
| None of the above | 6% |
| Yes | 25% |
| No |
75% |
Latest poll results
Gyan axed, Essien included
The worldwide players’ union – FIFPro and FIFA have shockingly excluded Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan for the World XI 2010 but included his compatriot Michael Essien in the 55-man shortlist.
FIFPro and FIFA unveiled the list yesterday, with the winner to be revealed at the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala in Zurich on 10 January 2011. This comes even though Gyan was one of the most consistent and impressive performers for both club and country for this year.
Essien, who failed to play active part of the entire year because of injury, missing the African Cup of Nations and World Cup was named in the list.
The 50,000 professional footballers belonging to the players’ unions across the world that form FIFPro, received voting forms in a secret ballot to nominate their peers for inclusion in their World XI – choosing the best four defenders, three midfielders, three forwards and goalkeeper of 2010.
World champions, Spain, lead the way with the most players in the shortlist with ten, followed by nine from Brazil, eight from Argentina, six from England, four from Germany, three each from the Netherlands and Italy, two from Portugal and one each from Uruguay, Wales, France, Bulgaria, Serbia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Cameroon.
Spain’s Primera Division attracted the most nominees with 18, followed by England’s Premier League with 17 and Italy’s Serie A with 15. Four nominees came from Germany’s Bundesliga and one from France’s Ligue 1. The final FIFA/FIFPro World XI will be announced at the FIFA Ballon d’Or gala in the Zurich Kongresshaus on 10 January 2011.
During this televised gala, the winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or for the best player of 2010 and the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year 2010 award will also be revealed. Meanwhile, the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football award and the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football award will be presented for the first time, while the FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal of the year will be announced for the second year running. The FIFA Presidential Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented during the gala.
The 55-player shortlist in full: Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus FC), Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid C.F.), Petr Cech (Czech Republic, Chelsea FC), Julio Cesar (Brazil, F.C. Internazionale), Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands, Manchester United FC)
Defenders: Daniel Alves (Brazil, FC Barcelona), Gareth Bale (Wales, Tottenham Hotspur), Michel Bastos (Brazil, Olympique Lyonnais), Ashley Cole (England, Chelsea FC), Patrice Evra (France, Manchester United FC), Rio Ferdinand (England, Manchester United FC), Philipp Lahm (Germany, FC Bayern Munchen), Lucio (Brazil, F.C. Internazionale), Maicon (Brazil, F.C. Internazionale), Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid C.F.), Alessandro Nesta (Italy, AC Milan), Pepe (Portugal, Real Madrid C.F.), Gerard Pique (Spain, FC Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Spain, FC Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid C.F.), Walter Samuel (Argentina, F.C. Internazionale), John Terry (England, Chelsea FC), Thiago Silva (Brazil, AC Milan), Nemanja Vidic (Serbia, Manchester United FC), Javier Zanetti (Argentina, F.C. Internazionale)
Midfielders: Esteban Cambiasso (Argentina, F.C. Internazionale), Michael Essien (Ghana, Chelsea FC), Cesc Fabregas (Spain, Arsenal FC), Steven Gerrard (England, Liverpool FC), Andres Iniesta (Spain, FC Barcelona), Ricardo Kaka (Brazil, Real Madrid C.F.), Frank Lampard (England, Chelsea FC), Javier Mascherano (Argentina, FC Barcelona), Thomas Muller (Germany, FC Bayern Munchen), Mesut Ozil (Germany, Real Madrid C.F.), Andrea Pirlo (Italy, AC Milan), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany, FC Bayern Munchen), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands, F.C. Internazionale), Xabi Alonso (Spain, Real Madrid C.F.), Xavi (Spain, FC Barcelona)
Forwards: Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria, Manchester United FC), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast, Chelsea FC), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon, F.C. Internazionale), Diego Forlán (Uruguay, Atletico Madrid), Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina, Real Madrid C.F.), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, AC Milan), Lionel Messi (Argentina, FC Barcelona), Diego Milito (Argentina, F.C. Internazionale), Arjen Robben (Netherlands, FC Bayern München), Ronaldinho (Brazil, AC Milan), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid C.F.), Wayne Rooney (England, Manchester United FC), Carlos Tevez (Argentina, Manchester City FC), Fernando Torres (Spain, Liverpool FC), David Villa (Spain, FC Barcelona). Ghanasoccernet
Kofi Owusu Aduonum (The Ghanaian Chronicle)
Is the West the Best?
If you follow African football, you would that West Africa has dominated the sports for a number of centuries.
The BBC Piers Edwards asked important question last week: Why has West Africa dominated African soccer for decades?
This is what he wrote in his introduction:
“The BBC shortlist for the 2010 African Footballer of the Year has underlined West Africa’s dominance of such awards – because around three-quarters of winners of both the BBC and Confederation of African Football (CAF) accolades hail from the region.
Great names stand out: Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria), Abedi Pele and Michael Essien (Ghana), Ivorian Didier Drogba, and Roger Milla and Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) to name but a few.
Liberia’s George Weah, meanwhile, is the only African to be crowned FIFA World Player of the Year.
Weah also won the BBC award in 1995 and this year, another West African will join him – with Drogba and Eto’o joined on the shortlist by Yaya Toure, Asamoah Gyan and Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew.
And it’s not just a matter of a few talented individuals – look at the results and you will also see that West Africa’s footballing pre-eminence is unquestionable:
Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana are Africa’s only ever World Cup quarter-finalists; Nigeria and Cameroon are the continent’s sole winners of Olympic gold, while Nigeria and Ghana share six FIFA world titles at U17 and U20 level”
I would like us to debate question here on TalkAfrique. Please use the space below to provide why you think West Africa has such dominance in African soccer.
Cast your vote NOW!
Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan and Andre 'Dede' Ayew, Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o, and Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast are are the five candidates for the BBC African Player of the Year.
The winner will be decided by online and text voting by African football fans.
The deadline is December 10, 2010
Kevin Prince Boateng: The story of a genius in the making
If imitation is the measure of success then I am a genius, a paraphrased quote from Oscar Wilde credits mavericks and loners whose behaviour sparks imitations from copycats. Now the famed bohemian’s assertions might have been self serving but could also be a viable benchmark for unparalleled human achievement.
Kevin Prince Boateng’s quest to switch nationality and seek solace playing for a country other than the nation of his birth might not represent a remarkable sporting feat but could in the long run inspire similar defections from nationals residing in countries as second or third generation citizens.
The Boateng saga is a slice of modernism believe it or not. The millions of Ghanaians who left our shores are remitting the country with more than just foreign money.
The yet to be celebrated genius may have shown the way to our lawyers, doctors, engineers and all gifted professionals who have opted to commit their skills and abilities to the development of the western world in lieu of serving the continent that they hailed from.
As Kevin Prince Boateng gains more favour in Ghana for being the victim of biased or unfair treatment of foreigners by Europeans, his status grows in dimension and scope thrusting him into the class of social icons like Rosa Parks who defied the status quo for the sake of social justice.
The irony is that, iconoclastic behaviour initially tends to incur the wrath of on-lookers who are ill- equipped to discern the merits in non-conformist behaviour.
Placing Kevin’s decision in its proper context, one sees an act of virtue based on insight lost on some of the continent’s brightest products. Mario Balotelli another sensational footballer of Ghanaian origin still awaits a call up to the Azzuris, the national squad of Italy. In spite of the many indicators that, he is better off committing his international career to Ghana, he is still nurturing the hope that he can make history as the first black player to break into the Italian squad.
Boateng’s decision to play for Ghana is likely to discourage that kind of blind allegiance to a developed world that continues to ignore the efforts and merits of immigrants.
For showing the way, I dare call Mr Boateng a genius in keeping with Oscar Wilde’s definition of the term and bid all Ghanaians and Africans in fact to welcome a noble son from the continent who saw the light under the most unusual of circumstances. Kevin Prince Boateng, you are welcome home!!!!!
The African Cup of Nations versus European Coaches
The African Cup of Nations is traditionally played during January and February every other year. Over the past few years, African players in Europe and other places and their coaches have on several occasions pleaded with the CAF management to either change the schedule to every 4 years or change the timing to coincide with the European leagues’ off season. Please use the space below to share your thoughts on what you think should be done.
