Early last month, CAF announced 30 candidates to win the African Ballon d'Or, before it was reduced today to ten candidates: Algerian Riyad Mahrez, Egyptian Mohamed Salah, Nigerian Victor Osimhen, and Senegalese Sadio Mane, in addition to four players from the Moroccan national team. They are Sofiane Amrabat, Yassine Bounou, Youssef En-Nesyri, Achraf Hakimi, and the Cameroonian duo Vincent Aboubakar and Frank Anguissa.
On December 11, the Confederation of African Football will award the Best African Player Award for the 2022-2023 season, more commonly known as the African Golden Ball, in a ceremony that will be held in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh.
Given the achievements of African players with their countries’ national teams and with their clubs, it is expected that the competition for the African Golden Ball for the 2022-2023 season will be limited to Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bono, Algerian star Riyad Mahrez, and Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen.
English Premier League imposes an unprecedented penalty on an ancient team for violating financial rules
The English Football League announced that it would deduct 10 points from Everton's balance for violating the Premier League's financial rules.
The English Premier League referred Everton to an investigation committee last March due to an alleged violation of profitability and sustainability rules during a period that ended with the 2021-2022 season.
The English Premier League said in a statement on Friday: “Everton FC admitted that it violated the standards of the financial rules for the period ending in the 2021/22 season, but the extent of the violation remained a matter of dispute.”
Elite clubs are allowed to lose up to a maximum of 105 million pounds ($127 million) over three years or face penalties.
Everton suffered losses for five consecutive years, totaling more than 430 million pounds during that period.
Everton could have been fined or a transfer ban imposed, but the League confirmed the points deduction penalty, which is the maximum in the history of the Premier League, which will see coach Sean Dyche's team fall to 19th place in the overall English Premier League standings, with a goal difference only from Burnley, bottom of the standings.
For its part, Everton confirmed that it intends to appeal the penalty, adding in a statement: “The club believes that the committee imposed a sporting punishment that is completely disproportionate and unfair.”
Everton, which is considered one of the most prestigious English clubs, continued: “Everton confirms that it was open and transparent in the information it provided to the English Premier League and that it always respected the integrity of the process.”
He added, "The club does not acknowledge the result that failed to translate the maximum amount of goodwill."
He concluded, "The harshness and severity of the punishment imposed by the committee is not a fair or reasonable reflection of the evidence presented."