FIFA THE BEST
Amputee Oleksy in disbelief after beating Payet, Richarlison to Puskas award
Polish amputee Marcin Oleksy still cannot believe his scissor kick won the 2022 FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal on Monday, beating finalists Dimitri Payet and Richarlison to the prize.
Oleksy’s spectacular overhead kick in amputee football was voted by fans and expert panelists above Richarlison’s acrobatic World Cup volley for Brazil against Serbia and Payet’s long-range strike for Olympique de Marseille against PAOK in the Europa Conference League.
“The time will come for me to believe what happened,” Oleksy said on Tuesday after he landed back in Warsaw.
“But I am very happy. I managed to leave behind Payet, Richarlison, (Kylian) Mbappe – there’s Marcin Oleksy (now).
“I actually felt a little bit of fear when I went to collect the prize, (as for) what it would be like. (There were so many) emotions. I tucked my head down at first, took two deep breaths – not to drop a tear.”
Oleksy became the first amputee to win the award.
“I looked at the crowd and thought: ‘So you can compete with Mbappe? Yes you can! It is possible to win against him? It is!’,” he later told a news conference.
Mbappe, whose second goal against Argentina in the World Cup final was on the initial shortlist of 11 nominees, was among those who congratulated the Polish player, Oleksy said.
“It was an honour to be nominated for Puskas Award. Congratulations @airoleksy, your goal is a masterpiece and you are an inspiration for all of us!,” Richarlison wrote on Instagram, alongside his picture with Oleksy.
Oleksy combines football with a full-time job as an excavator operator.
“I invite Robert Lewandowski to a training session. I’ll show him how to score nice goals,” he joked.
-Reuters
Nigerian journalist, Oluwashina Okeleji who voted under the Nigerian banner as a media practitioner in the FIFA The Best election is one of the few who got a perfect voting pattern.
His deep knowledge of the game is reflected in his vote which came as a perfect mark.
He voted this way:
- 1.Vinicious Jr., 2. Rodri, 3. Jude Bellingham
Okeleji has since 2004 been reporting for the BBC World Service Radio and Television (Focus on Africa Sport) and writes regularly for the BBC African Football website.
He also contributes to World Soccer magazine and Al Jazeera English (Sport). He is a multiple-ward winner.
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Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr has been named FIFA Men’s Player after voting was conducted with fans, national coaches, and captains forming the electoral college.
Nigerians may wish to know how their coaches and captain voted. Coach Augustine Owen Eguavoen voted as follows:
- Lionel Messi, 2. Vinícius Jr, 3. Rodri.
Messi, Eguavoen’s first choice did not make the top three. He placed sixth overall.
The Super Eagles captain, William Troost Ekong’s voting sheet reveals he voted this way:
1. Jude Bellingham, 2. Vinícius Jr, 3. Rodri
He nearly had a perfect scoring as the trio made the top three, but Bellingham finished third.
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After controversially missing being named this year’s Ballon d’Or winner,Brazil and Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr was named FIFA Men’s player of the Year in Doha on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old scored 24 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions to help Real Madrid clinch the LaLiga and Champions League double. He also scored in the final win over Borussia Dortmund.
The Brazilian won the award ahead of Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri and his teammate at Real, England’s Jude Bellingham.
The 24-year-old, who narrowly missed out on the Ballon d’Or to Rodri in October, was in Doha to collect the award, with Real in Qatar for Wednesday’s FIFA Intercontinental Cup final against Mexico’s Pachuca.
“It seemed impossible when I played barefoot in the streets of Sao Goncalo and now I’m here,” Vinicius said.
Bonmati retained the FIFA women’s Player of the Year award ahead of Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Norway’s Caroline Graham Hansen, having also won the women’s Ballon d’Or for the second consecutive year in October.
The 26-year-old helped her club to a domestic treble last season in a campaign in which Barca also retained the Champions League, and Bonmati scored in the semi-final and final when Spain won the Nations League in February.
“I’m very grateful for this award, but I always say that this is a team effort, with a Barca that won everything and the national team,” Bonmati said.
Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti won the best men’s coach award after the Italian led his club to the league and Champions League double last season.
“I want to share this with the club, with my president and with my players, those of the best club in the world,” Ancelotti said.
-Reuters
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