Five-time African Women’s Player of the Year, Asisat Oshoala and her compatriot Chiamaka Nnadozie have made the final 10 shortlisted candidates for this year’s African Women’s Player of the Year.
The duo was listed in a release yesterday by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Also, Nnadozie who plies her trade with Paris FC of France , made the final five for the Goalkeeper of the Year award, while Nigeria’s duo of Deborah Abiodun and Esther Opeyemi Ajakaye have been listed for the Young Player of the Year award.
For the Player of the Year, Oshoala and Nnadozie will compete for the gong alongside Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon), Anissa Lahmari (Morocco), Fatima Tagnaout (Morocco), Ghizlaine Chebbak (Morocco), Andile Dlamini (South Africa), Hilda Magaia (South Africa), Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa) and Barbara Banda (Zambia) after the nominees were prune by the continental ruling body.
In other categories like Interclub Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year and Club of the Year, the nominees have been pruned to five each.
Nnadozie who was outstanding at the last FIFA Women’s World Cup, will battle Imane Abdelahad (Morocco), Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco), Andile Dlamini (South Africa) and Kaylin Swart (South Africa) for Goalkeeper of the Year Award.
In the young player of the year award, Abiodun and Ajakaye will battle Comfort Yeboah (Ghana), Nesryne El Chad (Morocco) and Thubelihle Shamase (South Africa)
Nigeria is listed among the five teams in contention for the National Women’s Team of the Year award with Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia while Super Falcons’ coach Randy Waldrum will slug it out with Mehdi El Qaichouri (Morocco), Reynald Pedros (Morocco), Desiree Ellis (South Africa) and Jerry Tshabalala (South Africa) for the Coach of the Year award.
No Nigerian teams or players were listed for the Team and Inter Club of the Year awards.
The winner of each category will be decided after votes from a voting panel consisting of 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 will take place on Monday, December 11, at the Palais des Congrès, Movenpick, Marrakech, Morocco.
