CAF has revealed the initial nominees for various women’s categories in the CAF Awards 2023.
A panel, comprising CAF Technical Experts, Legends, and selected media representatives, carefully selected the nominees based on their performances from December 2022 to November 2023.
In a historic move, the best women’s goalkeeper will be honored for the first time, acknowledging the outstanding efforts of these shot-stoppers. Ten nominees have been put forward for the inaugural CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.
In other categories, 30 players are competing for the highly coveted Player of the Year, a title Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala secured for a record fifth time at the last Awards Gala in July 2022 in Rabat, Morocco.
Ten nominees each have been named for the Interclub Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year, and Young Player of the Year. The latter category is limited to players not exceeding 21 years of age.
The finalists of the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League in Cote d’Ivoire 2023 have automatically earned spots in the Club of the Year category.
The winners in each category will be determined by votes from a panel consisting of the CAF Technical Committee, media professionals from Member Associations, Head Coaches & Captains of Member Associations, and clubs participating in the group stages of the Interclub competitions.
The prestigious Awards Gala, set to take place on December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco, will be attended by the crème de la crème of African football.
Full 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)
Interclub Player of the Year (Women)
1. Refilwe Tholakele (Botswana, Mamelodi Sundowns)
2. N’Guessan Nadege Koffi (Cote d’Ivoire, SC Casablanca)
3. Elena Oyana (Equatorial Guinea, Huracanes)
4. Comfort Yeboah (Ghana, Ampem Darkoa)
5. Tracy Twum (Ghana, Ampem Darkoa)
6. Oumou Kone (Mali, AS Mande)
7. Aziza Rabbah (Morocco, AS FAR)
8. Fatima Tagnaout (Morocco, AS FAR)
9. Ghizlaine Chebbak (Morocco, AS FAR)
10. Lebohang Ramalepe (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
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
Club of the Year (Women)
1. Athletico d’Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire)
2. Huracanes (Equatorial Guinea)
3. Ampem Darkoa (Ghana)
4. AS Mande (Mali)
5. AS FAR (Morocco)
6. SC Casablanca (Morocco)
7. Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
8. JKT Queens (Tanzania)
