Chiamaka Nnadozie Guns for Double Honours in CAF Awards
*Danjuma, Edo Queens, Okwuchukwu, Falcons nominated in other categories
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Nigeria’s stock in women’s football took an upward swing yesterday following the nomination of the country’s players, coach and teams in all the women’s categories of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) 2024 Awards scheduled to hold on December 16, 2024 in Marrakech, Morocco.
Super Falcons and Paris FC safe hands, Chiamaka Nnadozie, leads the country’s nominees as she was nominated in two categories. She was listed in the Player of the a Year category as well as the Goalkeeper of the Year categories. Nnadozie is amongst the five top players in the continent in line for prestigious Player of the Year award.
The Super Falcons Number 1 goalkeeper however have Zambia and Orlando Pride’s goalkeeper, Barbra Banda and Malawi’s Chawinga sisters (Tabhita and Temwa) to battle for the award. Morocco’s Sanaâ Mssoudy of AS FAR is the fifth player shortlisted in this category of players to battle to replace Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala as Player of the Year.
Nnadozie also featured in the list of five players shortlisted for the Goalkeeper of the Year category.
The other four nominees for the goalkeeper of the year award include; Fideline Ngoy of DR Congo / TP Mazembe; Habiba Sabry of Egypt / FC Masar; Khadija Er-Rmichi of Morocco / AS FAR) and Andile Dlamini of South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns.
In the National Team of the Year category, Nigeria, Morocco, South Africa and Zambia are listed alongside Cameroon’s Under-20 women’s team.
For the Coach of the Year category, Super Falconets’ gaffer, Chris Danjuma, will contend with TP Mazembe’s Morocco-born gaffer, Lamia Boumehdi; Egypt’s FC Masar coach, Ahmed Ramadan; Morocco’s AS FAR coach, Mohamed Amine Alioua and Thinasonke Mbuli, coach of University of the Western Cape (South Africa) is the fifth nominee in this category.
In the Club of the Year category, Nigeria’s representatives in this year’s CAF Women’s Champions League, Edo Queens FC of Benin City got a mention here. They will however contend with champions TP Mazembe Ladies; FC Masar (Egypt); AS FAR (Morocco); and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
Chiamaka Okwuchukwu of Port Harcourt-based Rivers Angels was also nominated for the Young Player of the Year category alongside Habiba Sabry of Egypt and FC Masar; Doha El Madani of Morocco / AS FAR; Lina Mokhtar Jamai of Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain. Nthabiseng Majiya of Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) is the fifth nominee in this category.
According to CAF, the winners of each category will be determined through votes from the CAF Technical Committee, media professionals, head coaches and captains of Member Associations, as well as clubs participating in the group stages of Interclub competitions.
The 2024 CAF Awards cover the period from January to October this year.
*PLAYER OF THE YEAR
1. Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi / Olympique Lyonnais)
2. Temwa Chawinga (Malawi / Kansas City Current)
3. Sanaâ Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)
4. Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)
5. Barbra Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
1. Fideline Ngoy (DR Congo / TP Mazembe)
2. Habiba Sabry (Egypt / FC Masar)
3. Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco / AS FAR)
4. Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)
5. Andile Dlamini (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
*YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
1. Habiba Sabry (Egypt / FC Masar)
2. Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR)
3. Lina Mokhtar Jamai (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain)
4. Chiamaka Okwuchukwu (Nigeria / Rivers Angels)
5. Nthabiseng Majiya (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
*COACH OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
1. Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)
2. Ahmed Ramadan (FC Masar)
3. Mohamed Amine Alioua (AS FAR)
4. Chris Danjuma (Nigeria U-20)
5. Thinasonke Mbuli (University of the Western Cape)
*NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
1. Cameroon U-20
2. Morocco
3. Nigeria
4. South Africa
5. Zambia
*CLUB OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)
1. TP Mazembe (DR Congo)
2. FC Masar (Egypt)
3. AS FAR (Morocco)
4. Edo Queens (Nigeria)
5. M’Sundowns (South Africa)
