Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE voters for the Fifa Best Men’s Player were spot on as the country’s three representatives selected Portuguese and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo for the accolade.

Ronaldo was voted the world’s best footballer for the second consecutive year, beating Lionel Messi and Brazil star Neymar at a glitzy ceremony held in London on Monday night. National soccer team coach Norman Mapeza, Warriors captain Knowledge Musona and media representative Chipo Sabeta, a Herald Senior Reporter, were part of the 46.16 percent who voted for Ronaldo.

Messi was second with 19.25 percent, while former teammate Neymar came third with 6.97 percent.

Coaches and captains of each national team voted while a member of the media from each country also took part in the voting.

Mapeza’s top three had Ronaldo as his favourite followed by Messi and Real Madrid’s German midfielder Toni Kroos.

Belgian-based Musona’s list was the same as Mapeza while Sabeta had Messi as her third best player with Chelsea and Belgian attacker Eden Hazard as her second best while Ronaldo was her top player.

Zimbabwe’s selectors were also spot on for the Fifa Best Men’s Coach won by Real Madrid gaffer Zinedine Zidane.

Mapeza and Musona had Italian Allegri Massimiliano, who led Juventus to the final of the Uefa Champions League where they lost to Real Madrid as runner-up to Zidane, while Sabeta voted for Chelsea and Italian gaffer Antonio Conte. Mapeza had Conte as his third best coach in the world, while Musona opted for Diego Simeone of Athletico Madrid and Sabeta’s vote went to Joachim Löw of Germany.

Sabeta, who has been voting for the Fifa awards since 2014, was happy she got her choices correct.

“We are a football nation and we follow football not only locally but globally. We try to understand all leading leagues such as Laliga, EPL and Bundesliga, among others, and that makes us appreciate the dynamics of top leagues. I’m happy that as part of the people voting on behalf of Zimbabwe we were spot on with most of the voters,” said Sabeta.

Meanwhile, none of the Zimbabwe representatives managed to get their preferred winners voted in the women’s category.

Netherlands star Lieke Martens won The Best Fifa Women’s Player 2017 award with her coach Sarina Wiegman scooping The Fifa Women’s Coach accolade.

Mighty Warriors coach Sithethelelwe Sibanda had her best coach being German’s Ralf Kellerman, with Sabeta voting for Emma Hayes of England, while Mighty Warriors captain Talent Mandaza opted for Nigeria’s Florence Omagbemi.

For the top player, Sabeta voted for American Carli Lloyd, Sibanda voted for Frenchwoman Marozsán Dzsenifer and Mandaza’s choice was Australian striker Sam Kerr.

@ZililoR

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