Asisat Oshoala breaks new ground, becomes first African to be nominated for Ballon d’Or
Super Falcons star and reigning CAF Women’s Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala has been nominated for the 2022 Women’s Ballon d’Or in recognition of her stellar contribution for club and country. The 27-year-old striker becomes the first African to receive a nomination for the award.
Oshoala enjoyed an impressive campaign with FC Barcelona Femeni, claiming the Pichichi in Liga Iberdrola despite missing close to half of the season through injury. The Nigerian star helped her club to win the league and Copa De La Reina double in Spain but could not save her side from losing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final against Olympique Lyonnais.
Since the award was first created in 2018, no African woman has ever received a nomination before 2022 when Oshoala was named in the 20-woman shortlist for the award. The striker was voted by fans as the best striker in the world in 2021, but there was no official award for the voting.
Here is the list of nominees in full:
▪️ Alexia Putellas
▪️ Selma Bacha
▪️ Fridolina Rolfö
▪️ Vivianne Miedema
▪️ Lucy Bronze
▪️ Sam Kerr
▪️ Christiane Endler
▪️ Lena Oberdorf
▪️ Kadidiatou Diani
▪️ Alexandra Popp
▪️ Catarina Macario
▪️ Aitana Bonmatí
▪️ Wendie Renard
▪️ Alex Morgan
▪️ Beth Mead
▪️ Asisat Oshoala
▪️ Marie-Antoinette Katoto
▪️ Millie Bright
▪️ Trinity Rodman
▪️ Ada Hegerberg
