Former winners Asisat Oshoala and Thembi Kgatlana are on the updated 10-player shortlist for the Confederation of African Football’s (Caf) women’s Player of the Year award for 2021-22.
Injury may have ruled the pair out of the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), but Nigeria’s Oshoala is chasing a fifth prize, while Kgatlana was the second South African to be crowned Africa’s best back in 2018.
Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak is a strong contender after helping her club AS FAR to third place at the inaugural Women’s African Champions League, and the 31-year-old forward has scored three times during the Atlas Lionesses’ run to the Wafcon semi-finals.
Three of Kgatlana’s compatriots also make the list; Andile Dlamini and Bambanani Mbane of Mamelodi Sundowns and AC Milan’s Refiloe Jane.
Evelyn Badu and Doris Boaduwaa are shortlisted for Ghana, while Ajara Nchout Njoya of Cameroon and Zambia midfielder Grace Chanda also remain after the initial 30-woman long list was cut down.
A new name on the prize?
Africa’s most decorated footballer, Barcelona forward Oshoala is the last woman to have been crowned the continent’s best, back in 2019 – since when the awards have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Caf has also trimmed its lists for other women’s categories, with Ghana’s Evelyn Badu, Morocco’s Yasmine Zouhir and Nigerian Gift Monday still in the running for Young Player of the Year.
South Africa coach Desiree Ellis is among the 10 nominees shortlisted for the Coach of the Year category.
The continent’s governing body says the nominees, which includes Morocco boss Reynald Pedros and Zambia coach Bruce Mwape, were selected after taking into consideration group phase matches at Wafcon.
Each category will be decided by a panel of Caf technical experts, journalists, head coaches and captains of member associations and clubs involved in the group stage of the interclub competitions for the 2021-22 season.
All the winners will be named on 21 July, apart from the national team of the year award, which will be announced after the Wafcon final two days later.
Caf awards 2022 full list of women’s nominees
Player of the Year
- Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon & Inter Milan)
- Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Alvaldsnes)
- Doris Boaduwaa (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas)
- Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco & AS FAR)
- Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)
- Andile Dlamini (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Bambanani Mbane (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa & Atletico Madrid/Racing Louisville)
- Refiloe Jane (South Africa & AC Milan)
- Grace Chanda (Zambia & BIIK Kazygurt)
Young Player of the Year
- Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas/Alvaldsnes)
- Doris Boaduwaa (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas/Alvaldsnes)
- Yasmine Zouhir (Morocco & Saint-Etienne)
- Gift Monday (Nigeria & River Angels/FC Robo)
- Flourish Sebastine (Nigeria & Bayelsa Queens)
Interclub Player of the Year
- Andile Dlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Bambanani Mbanie (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Andisiwe Mgcoyi (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Evelyn Badu (Sekondi Hasaacas/Alvaldsnes)
- Doris Boaduwaa (Sekondi Hasaacas)
- Ghizlane Chebbak (AS FAR)
- Sanaa Mssoudy (AS FAR)
- Fatima Tagnaout (AS FAR)
- Rose Bella (Malabo Kings)
- Gift Monday (River Angels/FC Robo)
Coach of the Year
- Gaoletlhoo Nkutlwisang (Botswana)
- Gabriel Zabo (Cameroon)
- Yusif Basigi (Hasaacas Ladies)
- Reynald Pedros (Morocco)
- Randy Waldrum (Nigeria)
- Mame Moussa Cisse (Senegal)
- Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
- Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Samir Landolsi (Tunisia)
- Bruce Mwape (Zambia)
Club of the Year
- Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- Sekondi Hasaacas (Ghana)
- AS FAR (Morocco)
- Malabo Kings (Equatorial Guinea)
- Rivers Angels (Nigeria)
