| 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.
Drogba Catches Malaria
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba has been treated for malaria and will be fit to face Fulham in the Premier League on Wednesday night.
The Ivory Coast forward complained of a fever on the eve of Sunday’s match against Liverpool and only came on as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 loss.
“Obviously he lost power and training – he lost his condition,” Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said Tuesday. “He’s had treatment and now he’s OK. He’ll come back immediately in the best condition.
“He suffered, obviously, because he wasn’t 100 percent but now, after treatment, he’ll be better. He had malaria. He had the tests in the last day, and they showed this kind of virus. Now he’s good.”
Ancelotti does not know where Drogba contracted malaria.
“I gave him a few days off and he went on holiday for a few days, and then he has malaria,” Ancelotti said. “But it’s over now.”
Chelsea leads the league, two points ahead of second-place Manchester United.
(The Washington Post)
And the winner is……..
FIFA has released nominees for 2010 world player award. Chelsea’s and Ivory Coast’s no-nonsense striker Didier Drogba, Cameroon’s most decorated African player of all time, Samuel Eto’o and Ghana’s hitman Asamoah Gyan of Sunderland are among the nominees. Surprisingly, there are no English nominees, neither is Luis Suarez of Uraguay
World Player of the Year nominees: Xabi Alonso (Spain), Daniel Alves (Brazil), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Diego Forlan (Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Andres Iniesta (Spain), Julio Cesar (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Maicon (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Muller (Germany), Mesut Ozil (Germany), Carles Puyol (Spain), Arjen Robben (Holland), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Holland), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).
World coach of the year nominees: Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea), Vicente del Bosque (Spain), Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (FC Barcelona), Joachim Loew (Germany), Jose Mourinho (Inter Milan/Real Madrid), Oscar Tabarez (Uruguay), Louis Van Gaal (Bayern Munich), Bert van Marwijk (Holland) and Arsene Wenger (Arsenal).
The winners will be revealed in Zurich on 10 January.