RIO DE JANEIRO – Veteran Luis Suarez (age 37) scored 17 goals in the Brazilian league as Gremio finished their campaign second behind title winners Palmeiras. Suarez partnered Argentine wizard Lionel Messi for several seasons at Spanish side Barcelona and played for English side Liverpool and Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam.

Suarez beat Fluminense 3-2 in the final stages of the tournament in a thrilling match at the famous Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Atletico Mineiro striker Paulinho won the competition’s top scorer award after scoring 20 goals last season.

Suarez often said he feared he would not be able to finish the season in Brazil due to severe knee pain and long flight problems, but a select panel of journalists voted him to win the Ballon d’Or. Suarez made 53 appearances for Gremio across various competitions, during which he scored 26 goals this season.

After receiving the award from Diego Lugano, his former teammate in the Uruguayan national team, he tearfully said, “I am almost 37 years old and this is the year I have played the most matches. Sports career “Most of the time. This award belongs to you” was also the year I was away from my family.

But when asked about his future, he did not answer, but said that he will remember not only Gremio fans, but also fans of other clubs who respect him as a competitor. Suarez pointed out, “It’s hard to see the opposing fans applauding you when you’re playing… It’s happened to me in some stadiums, it’s the player’s mind, no matter how old he is. You have to have the mindset and commitment to play and do what you love”.

Today, Thursday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) narrowed the race for the African continent’s player of the year 2023 award to Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen.

Hakimi won the French league title with his team Paris Saint-Germain and excelled at the Qatar World Cup with his country’s Atlas Lions, reaching the semi-finals and finishing fourth.

This year is better.

We present to you the list of winners of the Best African Player Award (Men).#CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/D0gKvpN0x2

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) December 7, 2023

As for Osimhen, he was the top scorer in the Italian league with Napoli and won back-to-back titles, while Salah finished fourth in the English Premier League table with his team Liverpool.

Hakimi, goalkeeper Yassin Bounou, Youssef N-Nesiri and Sofian Amrafat were among the 10 players on the list, including 4 Moroccans, Algerian Riyad Mahrez, Senegalese Sadio Mane, last year’s player of the year and the Cameroonians. Vincent Abubakar and Frank Anguza.

Half of the goalkeeper team! ✅

Here we present you the shortlist for the Goalkeeper Award (Men).#CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/FEPTtjKn3C

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) December 7, 2023

Best goalkeeper

Yassin Bono, who won the Europa League title with Spanish club Sevilla last season, has been chosen to compete for the best goalkeeper award, along with Egyptian Mohamed El-Shenawi, who won the African Champions League with his Al-Ahly team, and Cameroonian Andre. Onana was crowned Italian Cup champion and Champions League runner-up with Inter Milan.

Choosing between them is not easy.

Here we present you the list to win the Coach of the Year Award (Men).#CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/AGE59WI1FI

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) December 7, 2023

Best trainer

The finalists for the Coach of the Year award include Morocco’s Walid Regragui, who set the Atlas Lions record at the World Cup in Qatar, Algeria’s Abdelhaq Benjika, who led USM Algiers to the African Confederation Cup and African Super Cup titles, and Senegal’s Aliu. Cisse, coach of the Terengganu Lions, champions of the African continent two years ago.

The future is very bright.

We present to you the shortlist for the Best Young Player Award (Men).#CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/WQi2PEzvkA

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) December 7, 2023

A very promising player

The Moroccans were among the finalists for the Most Promising Player award alongside Spain’s Real Betis winger Abdel Samad Salzouli, Senegal’s Lamine Kamara and Amara Diouf (both with French club Metz).

It’s time to reap the rewards of the year, with 3 teams nominated for glory.

Here we present you the list to win the Best Team Award (Men).#CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/Vq5DeelgD7

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) December 7, 2023

Teams

Moroccan men and women were the best in the national team, the “Atlas Lions” competed with Senegal and Gambia, and the “Atlas Women” reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand for the first time. In their history” along with Nigeria and South Africa, they were all eliminated in the round of 16.

Africa’s stainless gold.

Here we present you the list to win the best player award in the continent (men).#CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/PIWXirkJXX

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) December 7, 2023

Best local player

Domestically, Fiston Mayel (Egyptian Pyramids) is the only contender for the Man of the Match award from Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa’s Percy Dow (Al-Ahly) and Peter Shalulel (South African Sundowns).

A whole year of struggle.

We present to you the shortlist for the Best Club (Men) Award.#CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/NTXRIEbJ7f

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) December 7, 2023

As for the best club award, it will be Champions League champions Al-Ahly, modern competition champions Sundowns, Africa League and Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca as runners-up.

Best player

The shortlist for the best player includes Nigerian Asizad Oshola (Barcelona, ​​Spain), South Africa’s Thembi Katlana (Louisville, USA) and Zambian Barbara Banda (Shanghai Singles, China).

Glory calls them.

We bring you the shortlist for winning the African Player of the Year award.#CAFAwards2023” pic.twitter.com/HHy0Y0o2KP

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) December 7, 2023

The top teams in the women’s category are Sundowns, Champions League champion, Sporting Casablanca of Morocco, runner-up and compatriot Royal Army, coach of the year, French player Renault Petros (Morocco), Desiree Ellis (South Africa), and Gerry Tshabalala (Sundowns).

They always keep the faith of their fans and colleagues alive.

We present to you the shortlist for the Best Female Goalkeeper Award.#CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/f4PuEhqptN

— CAF – Arabic (@caf_online_AR) December 7, 2023

For the best female goalkeeper, the competition is only between Morocco’s Khadija Rmechi (Royal Army), Nigeria’s Siamaka Ndosi (Paris FC, France) and Andile Dlamini (Sundowns), Morocco’s Nisreen El Chad (Lille, France) and Ghana’s Comfort Yeboah. (Ampem Darkwa of Ghana), and Deborah of Nigeria competed. Abiodun (Pittsburgh Panthers) won the most promising award.

The final winner in each category will be determined after voting by a panel consisting of the CAF Technical Committee, media experts, coaches and presidents of member associations and clubs participating in the group stages of club competitions.

The award ceremony will be held on December 11 in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Liverpool strengthened their position in second place in the English Football League with a 2-0 win over hosts Sheffield United. 0-1, and Manchester United a hard-fought victory over its guest. Chelsea 2-1.

In the first game, Dutchman Virgil van Dijk (37) and Poland’s Dominik Soboslai (90+4) scored Liverpool’s goals.

The Reds went into the match after narrowly escaping the net of their visitors Fulham last Sunday, when they turned a 2-3 deficit into a maddening 4-3 win 10 minutes from time.

Liverpool lifted their tally to 34 points in second place, two ahead of Arsenal, who beat Luton Town 4-3 on Tuesday in the opening round of the standings, and two clear of third-placed Aston Villa. Fifth-placed City have dropped to fourth, ahead of Tottenham and United, their sixth in a row with 27 points each.

The role comes a day after Sheffield ditched their coach Paul Heckingbottom (46) and re-hired Chris Wilder.

Heckingbottom became the first manager in the league to lose his position this season after Sheffield United had managed just one win in 14 games before facing Liverpool.

Sheffield United opened the scoring 12 minutes after the opening whistle, but Liverpool’s Irish goalkeeper Gaomin Kelleher blocked James McDee’s effort following a counter-attack.

Liverpool responded by winning possession and Van Dijk was able to score after a corner kick into the area, followed by a right-footed shot past Al-Tayer (37).

Liverpool tried to settle the score early in the second half when their Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah had a dangerous chance, but the latter’s shot was successfully blocked by Sheffield goalkeeper Wesley Fotheringham (56).

Liverpool coach German Jurgen Klopp brought on Uruguayan Darwin Nunes and Harvey Elliott in place of Colombian Luis Diaz and Salah (67), aiming to disrupt attacking efforts.

Nunes added the second goal after a perfect pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold faced the goalkeeper, but the latter saved with his foot (77).

As the game was taking its final breath, Liverpool scored a convincing goal, Nunes stole the ball and passed it to Soboslaj, alone with the Sheffield goalkeeper, and he fired into the net (90 + 4).

Manchester City continued their poor run of form, failing to win for the fourth consecutive match, losing 0–1 at Aston Villa, 4–4 against Chelsea, 1–1 against Liverpool, and 3–3 against Tottenham after three draws.

Jamaican Leon Bailey (74) scored the only goal of the match.

Aston Villa have continued their performances this season as they are unbeaten in their last four matches (3 wins and a draw) and have established themselves as serious contenders for a ticket to the Champions League next season.

Aston Villa put in a good performance and outplayed their rivals for several periods, especially in the first half, where they were a dangerous side and in the 45th minute the referee disallowed a goal for Brazilian Douglas Luiz’s clearance. field during the attack.

The home side scored the winning goal just before the final quarter of an hour (74) after Bailly’s individual effort saw a powerful ball bounce off the feet of Portugal defender Ruben Dias.

Manchester United restored the winning tone after going down 0-1 at Newcastle in the last round, and beat their visitors Chelsea 2-1.

Scott McTominay scored two goals (19 and 69) for the Red Devils, Portuguese Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty kick early in the match (9), and Cole Palmer scored the Blues’ goal (45). )

Chelsea’s tie is frozen in tenth place with 19 points.

Dutch coach Eric den Haag’s side got off to a poor start to the match when they missed a penalty nine minutes after the opening whistle, which the referee awarded following a foul on Brazilian Anthony by Argentine Enzo Fernandez.

United succeeded in opening the scoring through McTominay with a shot from inside the penalty area (19), but before the end of the first half Chelsea equalized following Palmer’s shot into the right corner (45).

In the second half, McTominay stepped up to the rescue again and scored the winning goal with a header following a cross pass from Argentina’s Alejandro Carnacho (69).

Bournemouth beat Crystal Palace 2-0 and Brighton beat Brentford 2-1.

Brighton are in eighth place to increase their score to 25 points, while Brentford are eleventh with 19 points.

Nigerian Alex Iwobi (30th and 74th), Mexican Raul Jimenez (34th and 54th) and Scottish Tom Cairney (86th) scored alternately as Fulham beat Nottingham Forest 5-0.