Waldrum, Nnadozie, Oshoala bag nominations as Super Falcons dominate CAF awards final shortlists

Nigeria’s Super Falcons have at least one player in each category of the 2023 CAF Women’s Awards, with a total of five representatives nominated in several classes.

The Super Falcons enjoyed a brilliant 2023 after reaching the second round of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and members of the team and coaching staff have been duly rewarded for their hard work during the period under consideration.

The country’s head coach, Randy Waldrum, was nominated for the CAF Women’s Coach of the Year, alongside South Africa’s Desiree Ellis and Jerry Tshabalala, as well as Reynald Pedros and Mehdi El Qaichouri, who coached the Moroccan women’s national team and Raja Casablanca women, respectively.

Nigeria’s Deborah Abiodun, who made a remarkable appearance at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, was nominated for the Young Player of the Year award alongside Esher Ajakaye, who starred at the U-17 World Cup and U-20 WAFU Cup games.

Super Falcons’ World Cup hero, Chiamaka Nnadozie, was also given a nod in the final shortlist for the Goalkeeper of the Year award after many telling performances for Nigeria and Paris FC in the UEFA Women’s Champions League playoff rounds.

Nnadozie was in superb form for Nigeria at the 2023 World Cup and also dragged Paris FC past Arsenal and Wolfsburg to the group stages of this season’s UWCL after consecutive penalty shootout heroics.

For the most coveted Women’s Player of the Year award, the duo of Nnadozie and Asisast Oshoala will go head-to-head for the accolade, with both players standing a chance of taking the trophy home.

Oshoala was a key component of Barcelona Femeni’s second UWCL title in three years, while she also became the first African player to score in three consecutive FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments.

Nigeria’s Super Falcons were also nominated for the CAF Women’s Team of Year Award after their exploits at the World Cup and will be up against Senegal, South Africa, Morocco, and Zambia.