Africa’s best, Asisat Oshoala, nominated for 2022 Ballon d’Or

Nigeria and Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or.

This was announced Friday August 12, 2022, by French Football.

The 27-year-old Oshoala was included in a list of 20 players nominated for the 2022 Ballon d’Or.

On Friday, August 12 2022, France football organizers of the Ballon d’Or Award released the nominees in all categories ahead of the ceremony.

Oshoala enjoyed a spectacular season with Barcelona Femeni in Spain.

Oshoala scored 20 goals for Barcelona from just 19 games as they won the Primera División de la Liga de Fútbol Femenino in Spain.

The reigning African women’s player of the year saw her appearances for Barça limited due to a three-month injury layoff but always showed her quality in front of goal whenever she was available as the Catalan outfit retained the Spanish League title.

Lyon and Norway’s Ada Hegerberg, who is also in line for this year’s award, won the maiden women’s Ballon d’Or back in 2018, while United States women’s national team star Megan Rapinoe won the honours in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 ceremony to be cancelled, but Oshoala’s Barcelona teammate, Alexia Putellas, emerged as the winner following its resumption last year.

Putellas is also in contention for this year’s award, taking place in October in Paris.

Oshoala was recently crowned Player of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It was the fifth time she would be crowned the best player on the continent by Africa’s football governing body.

Women nominees

Alexandra Popp, Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg), Aitana Bonmati, Asisat Oshoala, Fridolina Rolfo, Lucy Bronze, Alexia Putellas (Barcelona), Wendie Renard, Ada Hegerberg, Selma Bacha, Catarina Macario, Christiane Endler (Olympique Lyon), Alex Morgan (San Diego Wave), Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema (Arsenal), Marie-Antoinette Katoto, Kadidiatou Diani (Paris Saint-Germain), Millie Bright, Sam Kerr (Chelsea), Trinity Rodman (Washington Spirit)