In American Samoa, national team skipper Luvu Rafe Tala plumped for Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar, while coach Aliva Uinifareti opted for Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar. This wasn’t the only example of coach and captain taking different views.
Fiji’s goalkeeper Simione Taminisau saw Ronaldo as top player of 2013, edging his Barcelona rival Messi, but added Frenchman Franck Ribery to his list. National team coach Juan Carlos Buzzetti has always had a reputation as a free-thinker and while he agreed with Simione’s first choice, the former Vanuatu national team coach went for two Bundesliga stars in second and third, with Ribery nosing ahead of Robert Lewandowski.
Alain Moizan and Olivier Dokunengo voted exactly the same – Ronaldo, Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as did West Ham United and All Whites defender Winston Reid and former All Whites coach Ricki Herbert, the Kiwi pair going for Welshman Gareth Bale as their top pick for 2013, with Neymar and Messi second and third respectively. Cook Islands pair Tuka Tisam and Joseph Mii selected Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
Tahiti’s FIFA Confederations Cup heroes, national team skipper Nicolas Vallar and coach Eddy Etaeta agreed on one thing; Lionel Messi was worthy of a second place finish. Vallar gave top spot to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Etaeta to Franck Ribery. The pair from French Polynesia opted for Ronaldo and Neymar in third.
Percy Avock and Robert Yelou were in perfect agreement with their top two – Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo – but differed on who was third, with Avock preferring Messi to Yelou’s decision to go with Ibrahimovic.
Solomon Islands international and Team Wellington attacking midfielder Henry Fa’arodo went for Neymar, Pirlo, Messi, perhaps surprisingly omitting Cristiano Ronaldo altogether. Jacob Moli, national team coach for the Solomon Islands, selected Neymar, Messi and Ronaldo.
Samoa national skipper Andrew Setefano was convinced by Ronaldo but added Bastian Schweinsteiger to his selection leaving Messi to pick up third spot. National team coach Vaga Malo went Ronaldo and Messi for his top two picks but threw in Uruguay’s Edinson Cavani to round off his selections.
Three members of the Oceania football media community were also participants in the vote and no less diverse in their selections. OFC TV commentator Gordon Glen Watson voted for Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi, while TNTV’s Olivier Huc chose Ibrahimovic as his number one, Ronaldo runner-up and Messi third.New Caledonia’s Alban Colombel opted for Messi, Ibrahimovic and Ribery.
The only OFC nations not to participate in the 2013 Ballon D’Or voting process were Papua New Guinea and Tonga.
The full list of who voted how can be located below.
2013 BALLON D’OR – HOW THE OFC VOTED
AMERICAN SAMOA
Luvu Rafe Tala – National Team skipper
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Neymar
Aliva Uinifareti – Coach
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Neymar
COOK ISLANDS
Joseph Mii – National Team skipper
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Gareth Bale
Tuka Tisam – Coach
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Gareth Bale
FIJI
Simione Taminisau – National Team skipper
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Franck Ribery
Juan Carlos Buzzetti – Coach
Cristiano Ronaldo
Franck Ribery
Robert Lewandowski
NEW CALEDONIA
Olivier Dokunengo – National Team skipper
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Alain Moizan – Coach
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Albam Colombel – Media
Lionel Messi
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Franck Ribery
NEW ZEALAND
Winston Reid – National Team skipper
Gareth Bale
Neymar
Lionel Messi
Ricki Herbert – Coach
Gareth Bale
Neymar
Lionel Messi
Gordon Glen Watson – Media
Cristiano Ronaldo
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Lionel Messi
SAMOA
Andrew Setefano – National Team skipper
Cristiano Ronaldo
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Lionel Messi
Vaga Malo – Coach
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Cavani Edinson
SOLOMON ISLANDS
Henry Fa’arodo – National Team skipper
Neymar
Andrea Pirlo
Lionel Messi
Jacob Moli – Coach
Neymar
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
TAHITI
Nicolas Vallar – National Team skipper
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo
Eddy Etaeta – Coach
Franck Ribery
Lionel Messi
Neymar
Olivier Huc – Media
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
VANUATU
Robert Yelou – National Team skipper
Neymar
Cristiano Ronaldo
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Percy Avock – Coach
Neymar
Cristiano Ronaldo
Lionel Messi
Ends

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