Ghana International Emmanuel Agyemang Badu has been nominated for the 2012 Puskas Award. The award, instituted by world football governing body FIFA is to award the player, male and female, judged to have scored the most aesthetically significant and "most beautiful" goal of the year. Emmanuel Agyemang Badu’s goal scored in Ghana’s final group D match against Guinea at the Stade de Franceville in Guinea at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations will compete with nine others for the FIFA Puskas Award 2012 and the player with the highest number of votes wins the award. The midfielder who turns 22 on December 2 will have to beat competition from Brazil’s Neymar, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Radamel Falcao, Moussa Sow and five others. He believes his good work is yielding fruits. “First of all I thank the almighty Father for this wonderful nomination. It came by surprise, I wasn’t expecting anything of the sort. Let’s just say the good work I have done so far is paying off. I am very happy and privileged for this opportunity. This will encourage me to push very hard in my carrier.” On his chances of winning, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu said “I believe I have a chance but it all depends on the votes and the category of selection of the winner. Competing with such great footballers is not going to be easy because I watched the goal Lionel Messi scored against Brazil, I saw the one Radamel Falcao scored, I saw Neymar’s goal as well and I think it will be difficult. But nothing is impossible so let’s keep praying and see what the good Lord will do.” Emmanuel Agyemang Badu appealed to all of his fans to vote for him. “I know what my fans have done in the past, what they are doing now and what they will do in future for me and I will not let them down. Visit FIFA 2012 Puskas Award to vote for Agyemang Badu to win this award for all of us.” Emmanuel Agyemang Badu was part of Ghana’s Black Satellites squad that won the 2009 U-20 world cup in Egypt. Below is the full list of nominees for the 2012 FIFA Puskas award: According to FIFA, the best goal is decided according to the following criteria: 1) aesthetics (a subjective criterion – long-range shots, team moves, acrobatic goals etc) 2) the importance of the match (an objective criterion – in descending order: national teams, continental tournaments, domestic first divisions) 3) the absence of luck or an opposition mistake as a factor making the goal possible 4) fair play: the player must not have conducted himself poorly during the game or, for example, have been found guilty of doping Accordingly, the nominees for the 2011 Puskas Award are as follows: (Vote in our poll below) 1. Hatem Ben Arfa (Newcastle) v Blackburn 2. Gaston Maella (Nacional Potosi) v The Strongest 3. Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid) v America de Cali 4. Olivia Jimenez (Mexico) v Switzerland 5. Lionel Messi (Argentina) v Brazil 6. Moussa Sow (Fenerbahce) v Galatasaray 7. Miroslav Stoch (Fenerbahce) v Genclerbirligi 8. Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Ghana) v Guinea 9. Eric Hassli (Vancouver) v Toronto 10. Neymar (Santos) v Internacional Previous winners include Cristiano Ronaldo (2009), Hamit Altintop (2010) and Neymar (2011).