Several Nigerian female players and the national women’s team are set to shine at the award ceremony after making the final shortlist in different categories
Three standout Nigerian players — Asisat Oshoala, Chiamaka Nnadozie, and Deborah Abiodun — have secured coveted spots in the final shortlists for the upcoming CAF Awards across various categories, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Confederation of African Football revealed today the final shortlists, comprising three candidates each, for all award categories.
Asisat Oshoala, already a record five-time recipient of the African Player of the Year (Women) accolade, continues to etch her name in history.
The Super Falcons and Barcelona striker finds herself in the top three once again, facing off against South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana and Barbara Banda of Zambia.
While Super Falcons’ goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie fell short of the Player of the Year shortlist, she remains in contention for the Goalkeeper of the Year honour.
Nnadozie is poised to challenge Khadija Er-Rmichi of Morocco and South Africa’s Andile Dlamini for the coveted shot-stopper prize.
Adding to Nigeria’s representation, Super Falcons midfielder Deborah Abiodun clinched a spot in the top three for the Young Player of the Year (Women) award. She shares the limelight with Comfort Yeboah of Ghana and Morocco’s Nesryne El Chad.
The Nigerian Super Falcons, who delivered an impressive performance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, are strong contenders for the National Team of the Year (Women) accolade. They face competition from Morocco and South Africa, both of whom also left a mark on the global stage.
However, in a surprising twist, Randy Waldrum, the mentor behind the Super Falcons’ excellent World Cup journey, did not make the cut for the Coach of the Year (Women) nominations.
The final contenders in this category include Reynald Pedro of Morocco, Desiree Ellis of South Africa, and Jerry Tshabalala of Mamelodi Sundowns.
Shifting the focus to other categories, the Coach of the Year (Men) race features Senegal’s Aliou Cisse, Morocco’s Walid Regragui, and Algerian coach Abdelhak Benchika of USM Alger.
Meanwhile, Al Ahly, Wydad, and Mamelodi Sundowns are in contention for the Club of the Year (Men) title, while AS FAR, Sporting Casablanca and Mamelodi Sundowns vie for Club of the Year (Women).
In the highly anticipated African Player of the Year contest, Super Eagles and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen emerged from a field of five, setting the stage for a fierce competition against former winner Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi.
The winner of each category will be announced at the CAF award ceremony scheduled to take place in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 11.
