Aubameyang and Omagbemi only Africans on FIFA shortlists
Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nigeria’s women’s coach Florence Omagbemi are the only Africans in contention for Fifa’s annual awards.
Aubameyang is one of 24 players nominated for The Best Fifa Men’s Player award.
The 27-year-old was the top scorer in the Bundesliga last season with 31 goals for Borussia Dortmund.
Omagbemi lead Nigeria to an eighth continental title in Cameroon last year and is one of the 10 names on the list for The Best Fifa Women’s Coach.
There were no Africans at all among the nominations for the awards for men’s coach or women’s player that were announced by football’s world governing body on Thursday.
The winners from each category will be revealed at a ceremony in London on 23 October.
Two panels of experts from across the six confederations chose the shortlisted candidates for the top performers of the 2016-17 season.
The Fifa Best Men’s Player shortlist:
- Pierre Aubameyang (Gabon, Borussia Dortmund)
- Leonardo Bonucci (Italy, AC Milan)
- Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus)
- Daniel Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid)
- Paulo Dybala (Argentina, Juventus)
- Antoine Griezmann (France, Atletico Madrid)
- Eden Hazard (Belgium, Chelsea)
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Manchester United)
- Andres Iniesta (Spain, Barcelona)
- Harry Kane (England, Tottenham Hotspur)
- N’Golo Kante (France, Chelsea)
- Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid)
- Robert Lewandowski (Poland, Bayern Munich)
- Marcelo (Brazil, Real Madrid)
- Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona)
- Luka Modric (Croatia, Real Madrid)
- Keylor Navas (Costa Rica, Real Madrid)
- Manuel Neuer (Germany, Bayern Munich)
- Neymar (Brazil, Paris St Germain)
- Sergio Ramos (Spain, Real Madrid)
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, Real Madrid)
- Alexis Sanchez (Chile, Arsenal)
- Luis Suarez (Uruguay, Barcelona)
- Arturo Vidal (Chile, Bayern Munich)
Florence Omagbemi has won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations as a captain and a coach
The Fifa Best Women’s Coach: shortlist:
- Olivier Echouafni (France, French national team)
- Emma Hayes (England, Chelsea)
- Ralf Kellermann (Germany, Wolfsburg)
- Xavi Llorens (Spain, Barcelona)
- Nils Nielsen (Denmark, Danish national team)
- Florence Omagbemi (Nigeria, Nigerian national team)
- Gerard Precheur (France, Lyon)
- Dominik Thalhammer (Austria, Austrian national team)
- Sarina Wiegman (Netherlands, Netherlands national team)
- Hwang Yong-Bong (North Korea, North Korean national and under-20 teams)