… As Lionel Messi ultimately named the 2022 FIFA Best Men’s player in Paris
BY SABELO GWEBU
SOCCER – Sihlangu coach and captain have chosen their 2022 FIFA Best Men’s Players, despite Argentina-born star Lionel Messi being announced one last night.
The 35-year-old beat French forwards Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to the prize and FIFA released how national teams’ coaches and captains voted for this prestigious prize, including Sihlangu’s Dominic Kunene and Lindo Mkhonta.
Only Mbappe was in Sihlangu coach Kunene’s top three candidates with the 2018 World Cup winner coming at an overall second position while captain Mkhonta who is now with Zambian giants ZESCO United had ultimate winner Messi and third placed Benzema in his top three.
Messi captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar and scored 27 goals in 49 games for club and country in the 2021/22 football season.
Spain’s Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas was named women’s player of the year.
Messi, who won the award for a second time told BBC, “It’s amazing. It’s been a tremendous year and it’s an honour for me to be here and win this award. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t be here. I achieved the dream I had been hoping for so long. Very few people can achieve that and I have been lucky to do so.”
At the ceremony which was held in Paris, Lionel Scaloni, who led Argentina to their third World Cup title in history, was named men’s coach of the year. Scaloni beat Pep Guardiola who guided Manchester City to a sixth Premier League title and Real Madrid’s Champions League-winning boss Carlo Ancelotti to the honour.
England manager Sarina Wiegman was named women’s coach of the year after leading the Lionesses as their women’s football national team is fondly called to European Championship glory on home soil last year, the team’s first major trophy.
English Premiership side Aston Villa and Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez was recognised as the best men’s goalkeeper, while England’s Mary Earps won the women’s award. Martinez, 30, helped his country win the World Cup, saving four penalties along the way including in the shootout victory against France in the final.
SIHLANGU COACH’S TOP THREE
- Kylian Mbappe
- Sadio Mane
- Vinicius Junior
SIHLANGU CAPTAIN’S TOP THREE
- Karim Benzema
- Kevin De Bruyne
- Lionel Messi
FIFA PROFESSIONALS MEN’S WORLD XI:
Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
Defenders: Achraf Hakimi, Virgil van Dijk, Joao Cancelo
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric, Casemiro; Lionel Messi Strikers: Erling Haaland, Karim Benzema, Kylian Mbappe
