CAF announces the winner of the 2023 African Ballon d’Or

The Confederation of African Football presented the “Best Awards” in the African continent for the year 2023, at a ceremony held on Monday in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh.

- Best African Player Award

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, a professional for the Italian club Napoli, won the Golden Ball award for the best African player for the year 2023, after beating the star of the Egyptian national team and the English club Liverpool, Mohamed Salah, and the Moroccan defender of Paris Saint-Germain, Ashraf Hakimi.

This is the first time that Osimhen has won the African Golden Ball in his career.

The annual CAF Award was presented to the best African player, according to the performance of the award candidates in the period from November 2022 until September 2023.

Osimhen, who ranked eighth in France Football magazine's Ballon d'Or, was on the final list of candidates to win the African Ballon d'Or for the 2022-2023 season, after leading his Napoli team last season to win the Italian League title for the first time in nearly 30 years, where the striker topped the list. Nigerian international Serie A list of top scorers.

Below are the rest of the winners of the various CAF awards for the year 2023:

- Best African Player Award outside the continent

Asisat Oshoala - Barcelona of Spain and the Nigeria national team

- Best Men's Coach Award

Walid Regragui - coach of the Moroccan national team

- Best Women’s Coach Award

Desley Allis - coach of the South African national team

- Best Goalkeeper Award

Moroccan Yassine Bono - Al Hilal Saudi Arabia (Seville, Spain).

- Best Goalkeeper Award

Chiamaka Nanduzi - Nigeria

- Best Goal Award

Egyptian Mahmoud Abdel Moneim Kahraba - Al-Ahly of Egypt

- The best men's national team

Morocco national team

- African Personality Award for Achievement

Alassane Ouattara - President of Côte d'Ivoire

The award was received by a representative of the President of Côte d'Ivoire

Mickey Sall - President of Senegal

The award was received by a representative of the President of Senegal

- The best women's team in Africa

Nigeria women's national team

- The best player on the African continent

Moroccan Fatima Technout - Royal Moroccan Army

- The best African local player

South African Percy Tau - Al-Ahly of Egypt

- The best club in Africa for men

Al-Ahly of Egypt

- The best young player in Africa

Lamine Camara - Senegal

- The best young player in Africa

Nisreen Chad - Moroccan national team player

- The best club for women

Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club, South Africa

The ideal lineup for players in Africa

The ideal lineup for female players in Africa

Spanish fans banned from traveling to France to attend the Champions League

Spanish fans will be banned from traveling to France to attend the match between Sevilla and French club Lens tomorrow, Tuesday, in the final round of the group stage of the Champions League.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that he would prevent fans of the Spanish football club Sevilla from attending the sixth round of the Champions League group stage match with Lens, according to what was reported by the French newspaper “L’Equipe”.

Earlier, Darmanin signed a decision prohibiting fans of some clubs playing in the tournament and the French Cup from traveling to attend upcoming matches outside their home ground, with the risk of clashes between fans increasing.

This decision came in response to the death of a Nantes fan after clashes with Nice fans before the 14th round match of the French League.

The match between Lens and Sevilla will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, December 12th.

Out of the 6 times Sevilla played in French territory, it only won once in the 2020-2021 season at Reims Stadium, with a score of 3-1.

In the 2021-2022 season, Sevilla tied with Lille in France.

Also at Lille Stadium, Sevilla lost twice in the UEFA Cup with a clean goal, the first in the 2004-2005 season, and the second in the 2005-2006 season.

In the 2016-2017 season, Sevilla tied with its host Lyon, and lost in the 2010-2011 season in French territory at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain with a score of 2-4.
The Andalusian club needs to win to achieve third place and move to play in the European League.