Super Falcons forward Rasheedat Ajibade and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie headline the 10-player nominee shortlist for the CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award released by the Confederation of African Football on Wednesday.
Ajibade enjoyed a spectacular season with Atletico Madrid Feminine, scoring 10 goals and providing six assists in 30 matches last season. She has also started this campaign in blistering form with five goals and two assists in eight games.
Nnadozie, on the other hand, has been a stalwart in goal for both the Super Falcons of Nigeria and French club Paris FC. The 24-year-old has kept three clean sheets in six matches this season for her club side.
They are both joined on the nominee list by Sandrine Niyonkuru (Burundi); Tabitha Chawinga and Temwa Chawinga (Malawi); Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco); Jermaine Seoposenwe and Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa); and Barbra Banda and Rachael Koundananji (Zambia).
𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 (𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻) – 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘀#CAFAwards2024 pic.twitter.com/wnjz5mTMmG
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 20, 2024
Meanwhile, Nnadozie is also up for the Goalkeeper of the Year award and will be looking to defend her crown having been nominated alongside compatriot Monle Oyono as well as the likes of Cathy Biya (Cameroon); Fideline Ngoy (DR Congo); Habiba Sabry (Egypt); Catherine Musonda (Zambia); Fatima El Jebraoui and Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco); and Andile Dlamini and Thandeka Ngcobo (South Africa).
𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 (𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻) – 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘀#CAFAwards2024 pic.twitter.com/8UiWUeCcdH
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 20, 2024
The Coach of the Year category includes three Nigerians: Bankole Olowookere (Nigeria U17), Chris Danjuma (Nigeria U20), and Edo Queens coach Moses Aduku.
The trio are also joined by Hassan Abdousalami (Cameroon U20); Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe); Ahmed Ramadan (FC Masar); Mildred Cheche (Kenya U17); Mohamed Amine Alioua (AS FAR); Mbayang Thiam (Aigles de la Medina); and Thinasonke Mbuli (University of the Western Cape).
𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 (𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻) – 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘀#CAFAwards2024 pic.twitter.com/PFC3JAiiEn
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 20, 2024
Also, three Nigerian teams—the Super Falcons, Falconets (U20), and Flamingos (U17)—have all been nominated for the Women’s National Team of the Year award.
𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 (𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻) – 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘀#CAFAwards2024 pic.twitter.com/sMR3AQojVC
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 20, 2024
The 2024 CAF Awards will be held in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 16, and will consider performances from the period within January 2024 and October 2024.
