Asamoah Gyan short-listed for FIFA World Player of the Year award

Black Stars forward Asamoah Gyan has been short-listed for the FIFA Ballon d’Or Player of the Year 2010 award.

The Sunderland hit-man was nominated alongside 22 others for the most prestigious individual honour in world football and his inclusion comes as no surprise following some eye-popping performances for the Black Stars during the Orange Africa Cup of Nations and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Angola and South Africa respectively.

A statement released by world soccer governing, FIFA on its website on Thursday curled by GNA Sports has Gyan battling for the honour with globally acclaimed footballers including last year’s winner, Lionel Messi of Argentina and Barcelona fame.

Also in the hunt are reigning CAF African Footballer of the Year, Didier Drogba and Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto’o, who together with Gyan are the only Africans to meet the criteria.

The statement said the winner of the award being organized in collaboration with French magazine, France Football for the first time will be decided by votes from captains and head coaches of the national teams as well as international media representatives selected by France Football.

On December 6, 2010, FIFA and France Football will announce at a media event in Paris the names of the three men who have received the most votes.

The winners will be revealed at the first FIFA Ballon d’Or gala as part of a televised ceremony at the Zurich Kongresshaus on 10 January 2011.

The list has Xabi Alonso (Spain), Daniel Alves (Brazil), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Diego Forlán (Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Júlio César (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Maicon (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Müller (Germany), Mesut Özil (Germany), Carles Puyol (Spain), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).

The Ghanaians to have come closest to winning the award are Abedi Pele (9th in 1992), Anthony Yeboah (9th in 1993) and Michael Essien (22nd and 15th in 2006 and 2007).

At the ceremony, the FIFA Women’s Player of the Year and the FIFA World Coach of the Year for both men and women will also be unveiled.

Source: GNA