CAF Awards 2023: Super Falcons players and coach get nominations

The Nigeria’s senior women’s national team have been nominated for the 2023 CAF Women’s Team of the Year as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) released nominations for the women’s categories on Tuesday.

For the first time, three African teams made it to the Round of 16 of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Nigeria, Morocco, and South African which made it to the Round of 16 will compete for the 2023 CAF Women’s Team of the Year.

They will compete with the women’s national team of Burkina Faso, Burundi, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Nigeria coach at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, Randy Waldrum has also been nominated for the coach of year after guiding the team to the last 16 of the World Cup.

He will contest for the award with highly rated coaches on the continent including the coach of reigning African champions, South Africa’s Desires Ellis.

Nana Joe Adarkwa (Ampem Darkoa, Ghana), Lovemore Fazili (Malawi), Mohamed Amine Alioua (ASFAR FC, Morocco), Mehdi El Qaichouri (SC Casablanca, Morocco), Reynald Pedros (Morocco), M. Moussa Cisse (Senegal), Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, South Africa), and Esther Chamruma (JKT Queens, Tanzania) are the other coaches nominated for the women’s coach of the year.

Paris FC goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie will go head to head with Cameroon goalie, Bawo Ange Gabrielle for the Women’s goalkeeper of the year prize.

Other nominees for the 2023 CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award are Dolores Masongo (Equatorial Guinea), Imane Abdelahad (Morocco), Khadiaj Er-rmichi (Morocco), Andile Dlamini (South Africa), Kaylin Swart (South Africa), Najiat Abass Idrisa (Tanzania), Catherine Musonda (Zambia), and Cynthia Shongwe (Zimbabwe).

Meanwhile, three Nigerian players have been nominated for the Young Player of the Year prize. They include Deborah Abiodun, Opeyemi Esther Ajakaye, and Tosin Demehin.

Other nominees for the prize are Comfort Yeboah (Ghana), Mary Amponsah (Ghana), Nesryne El Chad (Morocco), Hapsatou Diallo (Senegal), Thubellihe Shamase (South Africa), Winifreda Gerald (Tanzania), and Fauzia Najemba (Uganda).

The Awards Gala is scheduled for 11 December 2023 in Marrakech, Morocco.