Nigerian football sensation and Super Falcons forward, Asisat Oshoala, has been announced as a nominee for the prestigious 2023 Ballon d’Or Award. The official announcement was made by France Football, the organization responsible for the award, through their official Twitter account on July 7th.
Oshoala has been nominated in the esteemed Socrates Award category, which honors exceptional acts of solidarity performed by football champions. She is among the five distinguished individuals who made it to the final shortlist for this award, which was established last year and named after the legendary Brazilian footballer, Socrates.
The other nominees in the same category include Vinicius Jnr (Brazil/Real Madrid), Antonio Rudiger (Germany/Real Madrid), Marcus Rashford (England/Manchester United), and Alex Morgan (USA/San Diego Wave). PUNCH reported.
Oshoala’s nomination recognizes her remarkable contributions to her community, primarily through the establishment of the Oshoala Academy. This academy aims to offer top-notch football training and education on life skills to its beneficiaries, empowering young women through sports and transforming them into role models and ambassadors within their communities.
The announcement also mentioned that the nominees for other categories, including men’s, women’s, Yachine Trophy, and Kopa Trophy, will be disclosed on September 6th.
Currently, Oshoala is in Australia with the Super Falcons, Nigeria’s national women’s football team, as they prepare for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup. The tournament will be jointly hosted by New Zealand and Australia. The Super Falcons have been placed in Group B and are set to compete against Australia, Canada, and the Republic of Ireland during the group stages of the competition.
