Asamoah Gyan has been named in the shortlist for FIFA Ballon d’Or award for 2010. The lads performance at both the World Cup and the Nations’ Cup seem to have drawn attention from coaches and players around the world. Asamoah Gyan whose sterling performance at the World Cup saw him being named among the top players of the mundial in South Africa continues to feature for club and country even. Despite missing a penalty that ousted Ghana from the tournament, he has been recognized as the pivot around which Ghana built its game plan. The other Africans on the list are Samuel Eto’o Fils and Didier Drogba. Michael Essien lost out on this year’s shortlist as a result of being sidelined by a knee injury for most part of 2010. Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelloti have all been named in the shortlist of the first ever FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football 2010 award. The winners will be revealed at the first FIFA Ballon d’Or gala as part of a televised ceremony at the Zurich Kongresshaus on 10 January 2011, during which the FIFA/FIFPro World XI and the FIFA Puskás Award for the most beautiful goal of the year will also be announced for the second year running. The FIFA Presidential Award and the FIFA Fair Play Award will also be presented during the gala. The lists of 23 male and ten female candidates, as well as the two lists of ten coaches, have been drawn up by football experts from the Football Committee, the Technical and Development Committee and the Committee for Women’s Football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, as well as by a group of experts from France Football. The alliance between FIFA and the Amaury Group to create the FIFA Ballon d’Or was signed in Johannesburg on 5 July 2010. The award is a combination of the FIFA World Player of the Year award and the France Football Ballon d’Or. On 6 December 2010, FIFA and France Football will announce at a media event in Paris the names of the three men and three women, as well as the three men’s coaches and three women’s coaches, who have received the most votes. Shortlists for the FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala 2010 The following 23 men (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the FIFA Ballon d’Or 2010: Xabi Alonso (Spain), Daniel Alves (Brazil), Iker Casillas (Spain), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Côte d’Ivoire), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Diego Forlán (Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Júlio César (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Maicon (Brazil), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Müller (Germany), Mesut Özil (Germany), Carles Puyol (Spain), Arjen Robben (Netherlands), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain). The following ten women (in alphabetical order) are in contention for the title of FIFA Women’s World Player 2010: Camille Abily (France), Fatmire Bajramaj (Germany), So Yun Ji (Korea Republic), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Caroline Seger (Sweden), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Hope Solo (USA) and Abby Wambach (USA). The following ten coaches (in alphabetical order, first nationality and then team) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Men’s Football 2010: Carlo Ancelotti (Italy/Chelsea FC), Vicente del Bosque (Spain/Spain national team), Alex Ferguson (Scotland/Manchester United), Pep Guardiola (Spain/FC Barcelona), Joachim Löw (Germany/Germany national team), José Mourinho (Portugal/FC Internazionale Milano and Real Madrid CF), Oscar Tabárez (Uruguay/Uruguay national team), Louis Van Gaal (Netherlands, FC Bayern Munich), Bert Van Marwijk (Netherlands/Netherlands national team) and Arsène Wenger (France/Arsenal). The following ten coaches (in alphabetical order, first nationality and then team) are in contention for the FIFA World Coach of the Year for Women’s Football 2010: Bruno Bini (France/France national team), In Cheul Choi (Korea Republic/Korea Republic U-20 national team), Maren Meinert (Germany/Germany U-20 national team), Albertin Montoya (USA/FC Gold Pride), Silvia Neid (Germany/Germany national team), Hope Powell (England/England national team), Norio Sasaki (Japan/Japan national team), Bernd Schröder (Germany/FFC Turbine Potsdam), Pia Sundhage (Sweden/USA national team), Béatrice von Siebenthal (Switzerland/Switzerland national team). Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana