Nantes winger Moses Simon, Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi and Olympique Marseille’s Karl Toko Ekambi have been nominated for the 2022 Marc-Vivien Foe prize alongside nine other African stars.
The twelve nominees for the annual award, organised by Radio France International and France 24, were announced on Wednesday with the winner set to be revealed on May 16.
Other nominees are PSG midfielder Idrissa Gueye, Yunis Abdelhamid (Rennes); Nayef Aguerd (Rennes); Sofiane Boufal (Angers); Mohamed Bayo (Clermont Foot); Seko Fofana (Lens); Wahbi Khazri (Saint-Etienne); Mario Lemina (Nice) and Hamari Traore (Mali).
The shortlist is dominated by four Morrocans while Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Tunisia, Gabon and Mali boast a representative each.
Lens star Gael Kakuta won the 2021 edition after his fine contributions for the Stade Bollaert-Delelis giants.
Simon, who missed out on the prize last year, earned his nomination thanks to his fine form for Nantes in the 2021-22 campaign.
So far, he has scored three times in 24 league matches among several man-of-the-match performances.
Apart from Vincent Enyeama, Victor Osimhen is the second Nigerian to win the individual award, in 2020. He saw off competition from Denis Bouanga, Andy Delort, Islam Slimani Mbaye Niang, Hamari Traore and Edouard Mendy.
Prix Marc-Vivien Foe is an annual award presented to the best African player in the French Ligue 1 in honour of Marc-Vivien Foe – a former Cameroon international who died in 2003 while playing for the Indomitable Lions at the 2003 Confederations Cup in France.
On the international scene, Simon played a crucial role in Nigeria’s campaign at the 2021 African Cup of Nations where Augustine Eguavoen’s men crashed out in the Round of 16.
His presence could not help the Super Eagles qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup slated for Qatar.
Regardless, the former Levante man is expected to play a crucial role when Nantes travel to Stade Francis-Le Ble on Sunday for a French elite division date with Brest.
As things stand, Antoine Kombouare's men are eighth in the French top-flight table, two points behind Lille.
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