• Ajakaye Nominated for Young Player Award

Seven Super Falcons players, including goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, were recently announced as nominees for the 2023 Women’s Player of the Year awards by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Nnadozie, who showcases her talents with Paris FC, has been nominated for both the Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year awards, garnering global football fans' admiration for her stellar performance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

The nominees for the Player of the Year award also include Super Falcons and Barcelona Feminine striker Asisat Oshoala, Christy Ucheibe (Benfica), Osinachi Ohale (Alaves/Pachuca), Rasheedat Ajibade (Atletico Madrid), Toni Payne (Sevilla), and Uchenna Kanu (Tigres/Racing Louisville).

CAF revealed that a distinguished panel, comprising technical experts, legends, and selected media representatives, decided on the nominees, considering their performances at all levels from December 2022 to November 2023.

For the first time, the best women's goalkeeper will be recognized, and Nigeria’s Nnadozie will compete with nine other players for the inaugural CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award. She is also among the 30 players vying for the prestigious Player of the Year honor, previously claimed by Oshoala for a record fifth time in July 2022 in Rabat, Morocco.

In addition to these nominations, two other Nigerians, Esther Opeyemi Ajakaye (Delta Queens) and Oluwatosin Demehin (Stade Reims), are among those nominated for the Young Player of the Year award. Super Falcons’ coach Randy Waldrum is set to compete against nine others in the Coach of the Year category.

The Super Falcons of Nigeria are among the teams listed for the National Team of the Year (Women), while no Nigerian club is featured in the Club of the Year (Women) category.

Ten nominees each have been selected for the Interclub Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year, and Young Player of the Year, limited to players not exceeding 21 years.

The finalists of the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League Cote d’Ivoire 2023 have each earned a spot in the Club of the Year category.

The winners of each category will be determined through votes from a panel consisting of the CAF technical committee, media professionals from member associations, head coaches, and captains of member associations and clubs involved in the group stages of the interclub competitions. The awards gala is scheduled to take place on December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco, and will be attended by the crème de la crème of African football.