The Senegalese government has also called for an international investigation into suspected corruption within CAF.
Watch video below……
Former Brazil international and ex-Real Madrid captain Marcelo has named his pick for this year’s Ballon d’Or winner.
France Football unveiled the nominees for the prestigious individual award last week.
Several Real Madrid stars made the 30-player shortlist following their impressive 2023-24 season.
Los Blancos claimed the UEFA Champions League title, edged out Barcelona to win La Liga, and also secured the Supercopa de España earlier this year, per Eurosport.
The White Angels added the UEFA Super Cup at the start of the current campaign.
Seven Real Madrid players were included in the Ballon d’Or shortlist, with names like Vinicius Jr., Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Dani Carvajal, Federico Valverde, and Antonio Rudiger featuring prominently.
Retired midfielder Toni Kroos also earned a spot on the Ballon d’Or shortlist.
Legendary left-back Marcelo has predicted that Vinicius Jr. will take home the award at the ceremony on October 28.
As reported by MadridXtra, he said:
“Ballon d’Or? I think they will definitely give it to Vinícius Jr. Carvajal, Bellingham, Kroos played very well too,” as seen in sportskeeda.
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Vinicius Jr. is a leading contender for the award but faces strong competition from Manchester City’s Rodri.
While Vini Jr. was nearly unstoppable at the club level, his run at the 2024 Copa America didn’t go as smoothly.
Despite netting two goals, the 24-year-old couldn’t replicate his club form in the South American championship, where Brazil was eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, key players like Manchester City’s creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, Liverpool’s prolific forward Mohamed Salah, and Real Madrid’s rising star Rodrygo were among the surprise absentees.
Top 5 Ballon d’Or robberies
Earlier, TUKO.co.ke explored some of the biggest controversies surrounding the Ballo d’Or, focusing on the top five instances where players were deemed to have been unjustly denied the prestigious award.
These decisions have sparked ongoing debate, with many fans and pundits continuing to express their outrage over the perceived ‘robberies.’
Chelsea are now mathematically out of the Premier League title race.
This follows their 3-0 drubbing in the hands of Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night.
Liam Rosenior’s men came into the match with 48 points, looking to keep pace with the teams in front of them.
However, Beto opened the scoring for the hosts in the first half, before adding a second after the break.
Chelsea barely threatened Everton and looked flat for most of the game, before Iliman Ndiaye added a third.
The result means the Blues cannot match the 70 points that league leaders Arsenal currently have with seven matches left.
Champions Liverpool are also on the verge of being mathematically ruled out, as they have 49 points.
Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, has claimed that a senior member of the Super Eagles squad in 2017 sent him away from a hotel room during his first call-up to the national team.
According to the 27-year-old, it was Kelechi Iheanacho who intervened and welcomed him inside.
Osimhen revealed this while appearing on a Twitch livestream with comedian, Carter Efe in the early hours of Saturday.
He said: “When I came, I met Iheanacho. And I told him, ‘ah, see me, I’m gonna carry your boots.’ So he said I should come to his room so, he gave me his room number.
“So, as I got to his room — I don’t just want to mention the name — he had a roommate. So, as I knocked on the door, the roommate opened the door. So, he like bounced me out of the room.”
Osimhen refused to reveal the identity of the player who sent him away.
Drama as Senegal reportedly relocates AFCON trophy to military base after Confederation of African Football (CAF) viral decision.
It would be recalled that CAF stripped Senegal of their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, awarding it to Morocco instead.
This decision came after Morocco appealed the result of the January 18 final, where Senegal won 1-0 in extra time.
According to the CAF Appeal Board, Senegal had forfeited the match due to their players walking off the pitch in protest of a penalty awarded to Morocco, citing Articles 82 and 84 of the AFCON regulations.
The controversy surrounds the AFCON final, where Senegal’s players walked off the pitch in protest of a late penalty awarded to Morocco.
In a clip circulating on the microblogging platform, X (formerly Twitter), a young man with glasses is seen holding the AFCON trophy surrounded by military personnel.
The clip captures the military personnel’s excitement as they support the trophy, with an officer recording the moment.
In a recent development, Senegal has announced plans to appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with some officials and players expressing outrage and disappointment.
The Senegalese government has also called for an international investigation into suspected corruption within CAF.
Watch video below……
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