MBABANE – Sihlangu Captain Lindo Mkhonta threw his weight behind Achraf Hakimi for the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year Award.
Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Ousmane Dembélé was crowned the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Men’s Player of the Year following this past Tuesday’s glitzy ceremony in Doha, Qatar.
Meanwhile, Spain and Barcelona’s midfield maestro Aitana Bonmatí secured the women’s title for a remarkable third consecutive year. Unlike the Ballon d’Or, which remains the exclusive preserve of journalists, the Best FIFA Football Awards utilise a democratic voting system.
The results for the men’s player, coach and goalkeeper categories are determined by four distinct groups, each carrying an equal 25 per cent weighting: National team head coaches, captains, specialist media representatives and the general public (via the ‘Fan Vote’).
Sifiso ‘Nuro’ Ntibane, who was Sihlangu Interim Head Coach at the time of the voting last month, submitted a top three consisting of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi. His first-choice vote went to Mbappé, the France talisman and Real Madrid superstar.
Captain Lindo Mkhonta took a different view, selecting Hakimi as his primary choice, followed by Dembélé and Mbappé. Hakimi, the Spain-born Morocco Captain, is widely considered the premier right-back in world football.
Under FIFA regulations, captains and coaches are permitted to vote for compatriots, though they are barred from voting for themselves if nominated.
Eswatini’s journalistic vote was cast by the Times of Eswatini Sports Editor, Ashmond Nzima, who correctly shortlisted the eventual winner, Dembélé.
Other high-profile media representatives from the Southern African region included South Africa’s renowned broadcaster Robert Marawa and Zimbabwe’s Sikhumbuzo Moyo, a veteran in the African continent.
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