Lionel Messi was crowned Fifa Best Male player for the year 2022 on Monday after helping Argentina lift the World Cup in Qatar.
The PSG star garnered the biggest number of votes to beat France’s Kylian Mbappe and his fellow Frenchman Karim Benzema by a mile in an award decided by Head coaches and captains of the various national teams as well as selected media personnel.
Uganda’s Mulitin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic voted for Messi, Benzema and Senegal’s Sadio Mane in that order with his Captain Emmanuel Okwi going for Messi, Mbappe and Mane.
Steven Mayamba who voted on behalf of media in the men’s category went for Messi, Mane and Benzema.
For the Best coach, both Micho and Okwi agreed on Morocco’s Walid Reragraui, Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelloti and Argentina World Cup winning coach Lionel Scaloni, the eventual award winner.
However, the order of preference differed despite all including Steven Mayamba maintaining the trio.
In the Best goalkeeper category, the three also went for same choices albeit in different order – Yassine Bounou (Morocco), Emiliano Martínez (Argentina) and Thibaut Courtois (Belgium).
George Lutalo, Ruth Aturo and Mark Namanya voted in the women’s categories.
Summary of Uganda’s Vote for Fifa Football Awards
Men’s player of the year
Okwi: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Sadio Mané
Micho: Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Sadio Mané
Mayamba (Media): Lionel Messi, Sadio Mané, Karim Benzema
Women’s player of the year
Aturo: Alexia Putellas, Alex Morgan, Aitana Bonmatí
Lutalo: Alexia Putellas, Beth Mead, Ada Hegerberg
Namanya (Media): Beth Mead, Alexia Putellas, Alex Morgan
Men’s coach of the year
Okwi: Walid Regragui Carlo Ancelotti Lionel Scaloni
Micho: Carlo Ancelotti Lionel Scaloni Walid Regragui
Mayamba (Media): Walid Regragui Lionel Scaloni Carlo Ancelotti
Women’s coach of the year
Aturo: Emma Hayes Sonia Bompastor Sarina Wiegman
Lutalo: Sarina Wiegman Sonia Bompastor Emma Hayes
Namanya (Media): Sarina Wiegman Emma Hayes Pia Sundhage
Men’s goalkeeper of the year
Okwi: Yassine Bounou, Emiliano Martínez, Thibaut Courtois
Micho: Emiliano Martínez Thibaut Courtois Yassine Bounou
Mayamba (Media): Thibaut Courtois Yassine Bounou Emiliano Martínez
Women’s goalkeeper of the year
Aturo: Ann-Katrin Berger, Alyssa Naeher, Christiane Endler
Lutalo: Mary Earps, Christiane Endler, Ann-Katrin Berger
Namanya (Media): Sandra Paños, García-Villamil, Mary Earps Alyssa Naeher