Christiana Uzoma and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi have been nominated for the 2026 CAF Awards, while three-time Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year winner Chiamaka Nnadozie misses out, www.aclsports.com reports.
Uzoma is nominated for the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award, while Adegbuyi and fellow Nigerian forward Janet Akekoromowei are in contention for the Women’s Young Player of the Year prize.
The nominees were announced by CAF on Tuesday, November 3, with the awards ceremony scheduled to take place in Lagos, Nigeria, on December 7.
Uzoma earns goalkeeper nomination
Uzoma is Nigeria’s only nominee in the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year category, while Nnadozie, who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion and won the award in three consecutive editions, is not among the 10 nominees.
The 17-year-old Edo Queens goalkeeper was part of the Falconets squad that reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. She made several crucial saves during the tournament, including six in Nigeria’s 3-0 Round of 16 victory over England, when she also stopped a penalty.
The other nominees are Chloe N’Gazi (Algeria), Michaely Bihina (Cameroon), Cynthia Konlan (Ghana), Mercy Sikelo (Malawi), Fatoumata Karantao (Mali), Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco), Adji Ndiaye (Senegal), Kaylin Swart (South Africa) and Hazel Nali (Zambia).
Adegbuyi, Akekoromowei nominated for Young Player award
Nigeria will have two representatives in the Women’s Young Player of the Year category, with forwards Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei earning nominations.
Adegbuyi has won three MVP awards this year, in the NWFL Premiership, WAFU-B Women’s Champions League and WAFU-B U-17 Women’s Tournament. She is currently with the Flamingos at the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
Akekoromowei recently joined Portuguese club SL Benfica after representing the Falconets at the U-20 Women’s World Cup.
The Nigerian duo will compete against Romaine Gandonou (Benin), Maëva Nyadjou (Cameroon), Grace-Ruth Sery (Côte d’Ivoire), N’Sira Ouédraogo (Burkina Faso), Rose Kadzere (Malawi), Kautar Azraf (Morocco), Adji Ndiaye (Senegal) and Winfrida Gerald (Tanzania).
No Nigerian nominee for Women’s Player of the Year
For the first time in CAF Awards history, no Nigerian player has been nominated for the Women’s Player of the Year award.
Nigerian players have won the honour 13 times across its 18 editions. Asisat Oshoala leads the country’s tally with six titles, followed by Perpetua Nkwocha with four. Cynthia Uwak has won it twice, while former Nigeria captain Mercy Akide claimed the award once.
The 10 nominees are Marine Dafeur (Algeria), Marie Ngah Manga, Michaely Bihina and Monique Ngock (Cameroon), Portia Boakye (Ghana), Tabitha Chawinga and Temwa Chawinga (Malawi), Hanane Aït El Haj (Morocco), Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa) and Barbra Banda (Zambia).
Super Falcons nominated for Women’s National Team of the Year
Meanwhile, the Super Falcons have been shortlisted for the Women’s National Team of the Year award.
The 10-time African champions are among 10 national teams in contention for the prize, alongside Algeria, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Morocco and South Africa.
