No fewer than seven Super Falcons players have been nominated for the women’s categories of the CAF Player of the Year Award.
The CAF list, which was largely dominated by Nigerians, has Asisat Oshoala, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Rasheedat Ajibade, Toni Payne, Christy Ucheibe, Osinachi Ohale, and Uchenna Kanu.
The Falcons had a remarkable year, having gotten to the round of 16 of the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and were very close to qualifying for the quarterfinals before being knocked out of the competition on penalties by England.
At the club level, some members of the team had an outstanding season.
Ajibade has been very consistent for the Falcons and has also been a key figure for Atletico Madrid. The forward scored nine goals in 28 games for the Spanish club last season.
Toni Payne has also been a consistent player for Sevilla Women. She had three goals and four assists in 28 appearances for the club last season.
Oshoala
Oshoala, who was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or, where she finished in 20th position, helped Barcelona win the UEFA Champions League title. She also outstandingly won the Laliga, recording 21 goals and three assists in 28 appearances.
The former Robo FC player, along with 29 other players, will battle vie for the prestigious Player of the Year, which Oshoala claimed for a record fifth time during the last Awards Gala in July 2022 in Rabat, Morocco.
Just as in the men’s category, the best women’s goalkeeper will be rewarded for the first time to celebrate the heroic efforts of the shot-stoppers.
Ten players have been nominated for the first-ever CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award, with Nnadozie one of the favourites to win the award.
Nnadozie was immense for her Paris FC side, as she helped them qualify for the Champions League group stage.
According to the African football governing body, ten nominees each have been penciled for the Interclub Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year, and Young Player of the Year, limited to players not more than 21 years old.
The finalists of the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League in Ivory Coast have each been rewarded with a place in the Club of the Year category.
The Awards Gala is to be graced by the crème de la crème of African football on December 11 in Marrakech, Morocco.