Seven Super Falcons’ players, including goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, were yesterday listed for the 2023 Women’s Player of the Year awards by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
 
Nnadozie, who plays for Paris FC, and thrilled football fans globally with her performance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, was nominated in both the Player of the year award and Goalkeeper of the Year award categories.
 
Also listed for the Player of the Year award are 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 stated, yesterday, that a distinguished panel made up of its technical experts, legends, and selected media representatives decided on the nominees, taking into consideration their performances at all levels from December 2022 to November 2023.
 
Just as in the men’s category, the best women’s goalkeeper will be rewarded for the first time to celebrate the heroic efforts of the shot-stoppers.
 
Nigeria’s Nnadozie will battle with nine other players for the first-ever CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award. She is also among the 30 players that will vie for the prestigious Player of the Year honour, which Oshoala claimed for a record fifth time during the last Awards Gala in July 2022 in Rabat, Morocco.
 
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, just as Super Falcons’ Randy Waldrum will battle nine others in the Coach of the Year category.
 
The Super Falcons of Nigeria is among teams listed for the National Team of the Year (Women), while no Nigerian club is listed in the Club of the Year (Women) category.
 
Ten nominees each have been penciled 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 more than 21 years.
 
The finalists of the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League Cote d’Ivoire 2023 have each been rewarded with a place in the Club of the Year category.
 
The winner of each category will be decided after votes from a voting panel consisting of the CAF technical committee, media professionals from member associations, head coaches and captains of member associations and clubs involved at the group stages of the interclub competitions.The awards gala is to be graced by the crème de la crème of African football on December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco.