World Football governing body,FIFA is known for controversies,always in the news in most cases,for the wrong reasons . Yet it superintendents over world’s most famous sports and glamorous events. The 2017 Best football awards ceremony that took place in London recently is already generating mixed reactions,in keeping with FIFA traditions.

Congratulations to all the winners. By FIFA’s own standards , most of the awardees are deserving of the honours bestowed on them. In most cases the choices were very clear. Of course, there will always be dissenting opinions. Very natural, especially in the game of football where every ardent follower claims to be an expert .

Here is a recap of the big winners on the night. Cristiano Ronaldo-Real Madrid-best player-men; Lieke Martens-Netherderlands best player-women, Zinedine Zidane-Real  Madrid-best coach- men; Sarina Wiegman-Netherlands-best coach-women. Gigi Buffon-Juventus-best goalkeeper, Francis Kone of Togo received the FairPlay trophy while Oliver Giroud,s scorpion-style goal against Crystal Palace won the Puskas Award.

For the world best 11, again Real Madrid contributed five players; Buffon, Marcelo, Bonoucci, Ramos, Alves , Iniesta , Modric, Kroos, Neymar, Ronaldo and Messi make -up the team.

The controversy arises from the makeup of the awards. The dust is whether the awards are for individuals or their teams. For clearer understanding of what the issues are ;let’s look at this scenario. Would it have been possible for Ronaldo to emerge world best this year if ;Real Madrid didn’t win the La Liga and the Champions League in addition to Portugal clinching the Euro title during the period under review, even with his superlative performance ? The answer is no. The question then is; is  the best player award to the player or to his team? Take nothing away from Ronaldo’s individual achievement. He was amazing for the season in focus.

But does it mean he has been a better player than Messi in the last two years? I don’t think so. Messi has equally been phenomenal for Barcelona and Argentina. A tree they say, cannot make a forest. Next year’s best player is likely to come from any country that lifts the World Cup in Russia. From their present forms ,neither Argentina nor Portugal is likely to be crowned winners. It will not be fair to deny the two world best the award if they are still in superlative form on the account that their countries did not win the coveted trophy. Even one of top American women midfielders , Meghan Rapinoe has criticized FIFA shortlisting process, insisting that “it shows the world Soccer body doesn’t care”.

Now let us stretch the argument a bit further; If Ronaldo was picked because of the achievements of his club and country, is FIFA being fair to his teammates by bestowing the honour on him alone. This also applies to Messi if he had won. It is not the fault of these two greats. It’s FIFA’s creation. The world soccer governing body should therefore separate individual awards from teams’s achievements . Let’s have best team of the year award .

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FIFA said Ronaldo took 43.16 per cent of the total vote. In a more democratic setting, this score calls for a run-off election. 43/100 is not a pass mark.

Recently,former CAF President ,Issa Hayatuo was quoteted as regretting that one of the greatest talented players of this generation, our own Jay Jay Okocha was never crowned Africa’s best at the least. The very year the world looked in his direction for the award,the same Hayatuo and his CAF ignored him for one inconsistent player from Morocco, obviously  because neither his club nor Nigeria his country, won any trophy that year. This is the tragedy of these awards, yet they are supposed to be based on individual merit.

Even in the choice of world 11, FIFA’s selection is skewed in favour of some Leagues and continents. La Liga alone produced nine out of the 11during the period under review, with Buffon and Bonucci coming from Seria A. Andre Iniesta , one of the greatest players the world has ever seen, Modric and Kroos as good and influential as they are in their clubs; would face stiff competition from equally endowed midfielders from other Leagues in a fair contest. Not a few disagreed with their choice this time around.

How come that FIFA could not find one player from the South America Championship? A continent that has produced world greatest players . The reason is that the Swiss-based body hardly looks beyond European championship and Leagues .

Finally, the rivalry between Ronaldo and Messi will be with us for a little longer, except Brazil wins next World Cup, then Neymar. Some Ronaldo fans are claiming that by matching Messi’s fifth world player of the year record, Ronaldo is now the greatest. I don’t understand it. Someone braces the tape before you in a-100 meters dash,and when you finally meet him at the finishing line, you become his conqueror . Have your say anyway.

•Till next week, keep attacking