Falcons dominate CAF Awards nominations

Players of Nigeria’s Super Falcons dominated various categories of the 2023 CAF Awards after Africa’s football governing body, CAF released the nominations on Tuesday, www.aclsports.com reports.

After the Super Falcons made a fairy tale run to the second round of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, it had been expected that many of the team’s top stars will be in the conversation for individual awards this year and so was it.

Super Falcons and African women’s football legend Asisat Oshoala once again earned nomination in the 30-woman Player of the Year category in the Awards alongside six of her international teammates.

Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, defender Osinachi Ohale, midfielders Christy Ucheibe, Toni Payne and Rasheedat Ajibade as well as attacker Uchenna Kanu joined Oshoala in the nomination.

Nnadozie who has carried her excellent World Cup form to club level was rewarded with a double nomination as she has been nominated for the inaugural Goalkeeper of the Year award alongside nine other goalkeepers.

Three more Falcons stars made the Young Player of the Year shortlist in the Awards including Tosin Demehin and Deborah Abiodun who had their World Cup debuts this year as well as Esther Opeyemi Ajakaye who was capped by the Falcons last month.

Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum was nominated for the Coach of the Year category in the awards while the team were nominated for the Team of the Year gong.

The winner of each category will be decided after votes from a voting panel consisting of CAF Technical Committee, media professionals from Member Associations, Head Coaches & Captains of Member Associations and clubs involved at the group stages of the Interclub competitions.

Super Falcons stars will know their fate at the Awards Gala expected to be graced by the crème de la crème of African football on 11 December 2023 in Marrakech, Morocco.


List of Nominees (in alphabetic order by Member Association):

Player of the Year (Women)

1. Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon, Internazionale Milano)

2. Evelyn Badu (Ghana, Avaldnes)

3. Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi, Paris Saint-Germain)

4. Temwa Chawinga (Malawi, Wuhan Jiangda)

5. Anissa Lahmari (Morocco, Levante Las Planas)

6. Fatima Tagnaout (Morocco, AS FAR)

7. Ghizlaine Chebbak (Morocco, AS FAR)

8. Ibtissam Jraidi (Morocco, AS FAR/Al Ahli)

9. Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco, AS FAR)

10. Zenatha Coleman (Namibia, Fenerbahce)

11. Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria, Barcelona)

12. Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria, Paris FC)

13. Christy Ucheibe (Nigeria, Benfica)

14. Osinachi Ohale (Nigeria, Alaves/Pachuca)

15. Rasheedat Ajibade (Nigeria, Atletico Madrid)

16. Toni Payne (Nigeria, Sevilla)

17. Uchenna Kanu (Nigeria, Tigres/Racing Louisville)

18. Ndeye Awa Diakhaté (Senegal, Olympique de Marseille)

19. Andile Dlamini (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)

20. Hilda Magaia (South Africa, Sejong Sportstoto)

21. Jermaine Seoposenwe (South Africa, Juarez/Monterrey)

22. Linda Motlhalo (South Africa, Glasgow City)

23. Refiloe Jane (South Africa, Sassuolo)

24. Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa, Racing Louisville)

25. Afi Sabine Woedikou (Togo, Strasbourg/Nantes)

26. Sabrina Ellouzi (Tunisia, Excelsior)

27. Fazila Ikwaput (Uganda, Kampala Queens)

28. Barbara Banda (Zambia, Shanghai Shengli)

29. Grace Chanda (Zambia, Madrid CFF)

30. Rachael Kundananji (Zambia, Madrid CFF)



Goalkeeper of the Year (Women)

1. Ange Bawou (Cameroon, Bayelsa Queens/ BIIK-Shymkent)

2. Dolores Hernandez Masongo (Equatorial Guinea, Huracanes)

3. Imane Abdelahad (Morocco, SC Casablanca)

4. Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco, AS FAR)

5. Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria, Paris FC)

6. Andile Dlamini (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)

7. Kaylin Swart (South Africa, JVW)

8. Najiat Abass Idrisa (Tanzania, JKT Queens)

9. Catherine Musonda (Zambia, Tomiris Turan)

10. Cynthia Shongwe (Zimbabwe, Harare City)


Young Player of the Year (not more than 21 years)

1. Comfort Yeboah (Ghana, Ampem Darkoa)

2. Mary Amponsah (Ghana, Ampem Darkoa)

3. Nesryne El Chad (Morocco, Lille)

4. Deborah Abiodun (Nigeria, Pittsburg Panthers)

5. Esther Opeyemi Ajakaye (Nigeria, Delta Queens)

6. Oluwatosin Demehin (Nigeria, Stade Reims)

7. Hapsatou Malado Diallo (Senegal, USPA/Eibar)

8. Thubelihle Shamase (South Africa, University of Johannesburg FC)

9. Winifreda Gerald (Tanzania, JKT Queens)

10. Fauzia Najjemba (Uganda, Dynamo Moscow)



Coach of the Year (Women)

1. Nana Joe Adarkwa (Ampem Darkoa)

2. Lovemore Fazili (Malawi)

3. Mehdi El Qaichouri (SC Casablanca)

4. Mohamed Amine Alioua (AS FAR)

5. Reynald Pedros (Morocco)

6. Randy Waldrum (Nigeria)

7. Mame Moussa Cisse (Senegal)

8. Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

9. Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns)

10. Esther Chabruma (JKT Queens)


National Team of the Year (Women)

1. Burkina Faso

2. Burundi

3. Ghana

4. Malawi

5. Morocco

6. Nigeria

7. Senegal

8. South Africa

9. Tanzania

10. Zambia