Keshi, Yobo disagree over Ballon d’Or

Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi and Nigeria captain Joseph Yobo were part of the process that produced Lionel Messi as the Ballon d’Or winner for a record fourth time on Monday but the two had different opinions on who should be the best player in the world. In the full list of the votes for the award released by FIFA shortly after the event, it was revealed that Keshi voted for African Footballer of the Year, Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast while captain Yobo gave his vote to the eventual winner, Messi.

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The winner for the award is always decided based on decisions made by international coaches, captains and a selection of the media representatives from each member nation. Keshi’s solidarity with African products saw him giving his second vote to former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast while his third vote went to Manchester United’s Robin van Persie. Keshi’s choice Toure finished outside the top 10 while Drogba was ranked eighth in the world. Van Persie was not listed in the top 10 too.

Yobo got it right as Messi won while his second pick Cristiano Ronaldo came second. However, his third choice Neymar of Brazil finished outside the top 10. Samm Audu, a Nigerian journalist with MTNfootball.com voted in the media section, picking Messi ahead of Ronaldo and Radamel Falcao in the third place. Falcao finished fifth. Toure, who was crowned Africa’s best for the second time last month, also got the full vote from coach Mar Mayacine of Senegal and a third place decision from a journalist from Zambia, Chapadongo Lungu, while coach Mayacine also picked Didier Drogba in the second position and Lionel Messi in the third.