Weekly Football News Catch-Up: October 2nd: Asisat Oshoala And Osimhen Nominated For Ballon d’Or; Chelsea Attempted To Sign Nigerian Striker; Others

Asisat Oshoala Make Women Ballon d’Or Nominees List

Asisat Oshoala, a striker for the Super Falcons, has received a nomination for the 2023 Women’s Ballon d’Or.

The 28-year-old has now received a nomination for a second year running.

Oshoala came in at number 16 the previous year.

Alexia Putellas, a teammate from Barcelona, received the honour in 2022.

Asisat Oshoala was essential to Barcelona’s triumph in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the Spanish Iberdrola last season.

The forward is the only female player from Africa to have made the shortlist.

Asisat Oshoala has the record with five victories in the CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award.

Ballon d’Or 2023 Full List, Osimhen Makes The List

The candidates for the 2023 Ballon d’Or were revealed on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi is the front-runner to win a record-breaking eighth title after leading Argentina to a World Cup victory in Qatar last year.

It’s anticipated that Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland will keep Messi close.

A distinguished ceremony in Paris will reveal the winner on October 30th.

The trophy is currently held by Karim Benzema, who led Real Madrid to victory in the 2022 Champions League.

Victor Osimhen, a forward for Nigeria, is also one of the candidates for the 2023 FIFA Men’s Ballon d’Or.

Since the award’s inception in 1999, Osimhen is the first Nigerian to receive a nomination.

Last season, the 24-year-old had a productive campaign with Serie A champions Napoli.

The striker helped Napoli win the Scudetto for the first time in 33 years by tallying 26 goals in 32 league games.

Osimhen also scored five goals for the Partenopei in the UEFA Champions League.

With three goals in three games, he has also helped Rudi Garcia’s team get off to a strong start this season.

The full shortlist includes Josko Gvardiol, Andre Onana, Jamal Musiala, Karim Benzema, Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka, Kevin de Bruyne, Jude Bellingham, Randal Kolo Muani, Bernardo Silva, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Emiliano Martinez, Ruben Dias, Erling Haaland, Nicolo Barella, Martin Odegaard, Ilkay Gundogan, Yassine Bounou, Julian Alvarez, Vinicius Jr, Rodri, Antoine Griezmann, Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez, Robert Lewandowski, Kim Min-Jae, Luka Modric, Kylian Mbappe, Victor Osimhen and Harry Kane.

Chelsea Reportedly Made Attempt To Sign Nigerian Striker In Summer

Before the transfer deadline, Chelsea attempted to provide Mauricio Pochettino with a new striker by making a last-minute approach for Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi.

The Athletic claims that the Blues’ attempt to give Nicolas Jackson some competition ultimately failed.

Only four points have been earned by Pochettino’s team through their first four Premier League games.

They fell to Forest at Stamford Bridge last Saturday, losing 1-0.

On that particular day, Awoniyi wore down Chelsea’s defence and assisted Anthony Elanga on his game-winning goal.

Nevertheless, it has come to light that Chelsea had gotten in touch with Forest 48 hours earlier in an effort to mediate a deal for the Super Eagles star.

Chelsea’s efforts were immediately rejected by Forest, leaving Pochettino to continue coaching Jackson and Armando Broja alone.

Saudi Transfer Window Closed; Salah To Remain In Liverpool

Mohamed Salah, a winger for Liverpool, will remain in the Premier League for the foreseeable future after the Saudi Pro League transfer window shut on Thursday.

It was rumoured that the Reds rejected an Al Ittihad offer for Salah that may have cost up to £150 million.

On the day of their transfer deadline, the Saudi club was prepared to offer the Egyptian a larger price, but that didn’t happen.

Salah would not be permitted to leave Anfield, according to Liverpool’s steadfast stance during the whole transfer window.

This summer, Jurgen Klopp has already seen players like Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mané, Fabinho, and Roberto Firmino go to the Middle East.

However, following Salah’s goal in Sunday’s 3-0 victory against Aston Villa, Klopp reaffirmed the club’s position and asserted that the 31-year-old was totally committed.

Osimhen Issue With Napoli: A Timeline

Victor Osimhen has been one of the most important players for Napoli since joining the club from Lille in 2020. He has scored 31 goals in 38 Serie A appearances for the club and helped them to win their first Scudetto in over three decades last season.

However, Osimhen’s relationship with Napoli has soured in recent months. The issue began in September 2023, when the club’s official TikTok account posted a video that appeared to mock Osimhen’s penalty miss in a recent match.

Osimhen was furious about the video, and his agent threatened to take legal action against Napoli. The club quickly deleted the video and apologized to Osimhen, but the damage had already been done.

Osimhen has since removed almost all Napoli-related photos from his social media accounts, and he has been reluctant to celebrate his goals for the club. He has also been linked with a move away from Napoli, with a number of top European clubs reportedly interested in signing him.

The situation between Osimhen and Napoli has become increasingly tense in recent weeks. In October 2023, Osimhen was benched for Napoli’s match against Lecce, despite being fit and available.

It is unclear what the future holds for Osimhen at Napoli. The club is reportedly willing to sell him if they receive a suitable offer, but Osimhen himself may want to stay and fight for his place in the team.