Super Falcons forward, Asisat Oshoala was dropped as CAF nominates Rasheedat Ajibade and Chiamaka Nnadozie for the 2024 Women’s Player of the Year award.
The announcement was made on Wednesday as part of a 10-player shortlist released by the Confederation of African Football.
Ajibade, a forward for Atlético Madrid, and Nnadozie, the 2023 CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, join an elite group of nominees, including South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana, Zambia’s Barbara Banda and Racheal Kundananji, and Burundi’s Sandrine Niyonkuru.
In a surprising twist, Asisat Oshoala, the current holder of the title and a six-time winner, was notably absent from the list.
This marks the first time since 2015 that Oshoala has failed to make the shortlist for CAF’s top women’s football award.
Meanwhile, Nnadozie has also been nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Year award once again, alongside Monle Oyono of Edo Queens.
The 23-year-old won the accolade in 2023 and will be eager to defend her crown.
In addition to individual nominations, Nigerian football is well-represented across several categories.
The Super Falcons, Falconets, and Flamingos have all been shortlisted for National Team of the Year.
Nigeria’s Flourish Sabastine and Chiamaka Okuchukwu are also contenders for the Best Young Player award.
The 2024 CAF Awards ceremony will take place on December 16 in Marrakech, Morocco, where the winners will be announced.
Here is the full list of nominees for the CAF Awards 2024:
Player of the Year
- Sandrine Niyonkuru (Burundi / FC Masar)
- Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi / Olympique Lyonnais)
- Temwa Chawinga (Malawi / Kansas City)
- Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)
- Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)
- Rasheedat Ajibade (Nigeria / Atletico Madrid)
- Jermaine Seoposenwe (South Africa / Monterrey)
- Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa / Tigres UANL)
- Barbara Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)
- Racheal Kundananji (Zambia / Bay FC)
Goalkeeper of the Year
- Cathy Biya (Cameroon / Eclair)
- Fideline Ngoy (DR Congo / TP Mazembe)
- Habiba Sabry (Egypt / FC Masar)
- Fatima El Jebraoui (Morocco / Wydad Athletic Club)
- Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco / AS FAR)
- Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)
- Monle Oyono (Nigeria / Edo Queens)
- Andile Dlamini (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Thandeka Ngcobo (South Africa / University of the Western Cape)
- Catherine Musonda (Zambia / Indeni Roses)
Interclub Player of the Year
- Sandrine Niyonkuru (Burundi / FC Masar)
- Merveille Nanguji (DR Congo / TP Mazembe)
- Lacho Flora Marta (DR Congo / TP Mazembe)
- Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR)
- Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco / AS FAR)
- Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)
- Emem Essien (Nigeria / Edo Queens)
- Monle Oyono (Nigeria / Edo Queens)
- Amogelang Motau (South Africa / University of the Western Cape)
- Shadia Nankya (Uganda / FC Masar)
Young Player of the Year
- Cathy Biya (Cameroon / Eclair)
- Naomi Eto (Cameroon / Amazone FAP)
- Habiba Sabry (Egypt / FC Masar)
- Stella Nyamekye (Ghana / Dreamz Ladies)
- Valerie Nekesa (Kenya / Madira Girls)
- Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR)
- Lina Mokhtar Jamai (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain)
- Chiamaka Okuchukwu (Nigeria / Rivers Angels)
- Flourish Sabastine (Nigeria / Stade de Reims)
- Nthabiseng Majiya (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
Coach of the Year
- Hassan Balla Abdousalami (Cameroon U-20)
- Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)
- Ahmed Ramadan (FC Masar)
- Mildred Cheche (Kenya U-17)
- Mohamed Amine Alioua (AS FAR)
- Bankole Olowookere (Nigeria U-17)
- Chris Danjuma (Nigeria U-20)
- Moses Adukwu (Edo Queens)
- Mbayang Thiam (Aigles de la Medina)
- Thinasonke Mbuli (University of the Western Cape)
National Team of the Year
- Cameroon U-20
- Kenya U-17
- Malawi
- Morocco
- Morocco U-20
- Nigeria
- Nigeria U-17
- Nigeria U-20
- South Africa
- Zambia
Club of the Year
- TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
- FC Masar (Egypt)
- CBE (Ethiopia)
- AS FAR (Morocco)
- Edo Queens (Nigeria)
- Aigles de la Medina (Senegal)
- Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- University of the Western Cape (South Africa)
The winners will be determined by votes from a diverse panel, including members of the CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, and coaches and captains of the CAF Member Associations and clubs participating in CAF interclub competitions.
