Nigeria makes continental history as Osimhen and Oshoala win big in CAF awards

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Victory for Nigeria at the CAF awards gala in Marrakech as Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala won the major prizes on the night, making the country the first-ever to produce winners of both CAF Men's and Women's Best Players in the same year.


Victor Osimhen crowned Africa's Best

For the first time since Kanu Nwankwo 24 years ago, a Nigerian player has won the most prestigious individual accolade in African football with striker Victor Osimhen beating Mohamed Salah and Achraf Hakimi to the CAF Men's Player of the Year award.

Osimhen, who enjoyed a sensational year with Napoli, delivering their first Scudetto in 33years and helping them to a first-ever quarter final place in the UEFA Champions League was always front-runner for the award, moreso after Riyad Mahrez failed to make the final three.

Aside his conquests with Napoli, the 24-year-old striker was also unplayable in the AFCON qualifiers, scoring ten goals in six games and finishing as top scorer of the qualification tournament, with no other player scoring more than five.

Though Osimhen did not play at the 2022 FIFA World Cup as Super Eagles failed to qualify, he made up for that in his overall performance over the course of the 2022-23 season, while Salah's failure to win any major trophy overshadowed his stellar individual season.

Liverpool also failed to make the top four in the Premier League, thereby missing out on this season's UEFA Champions League, and further dampening his chances at winning the award for a third time.

Achraf Hakimi also had a good shout but it was always going to be difficult for a defender. Helping Morocco make history in Qatar last winter as the nation became the first-ever African to reach the FIFA World Cup semi finals is a great achievement, while he also won the Ligue 1 with his club PSG Paris Saint-German.


In the end, it was Victor Osimhen who finished top of the poll as majority would want it, and the former Golden boot and Silver ball winner at the U-17 FIFA World Cup fulfilled the dream of a nation by ending a 24-year wait for a CAF Men's Player of the Year winner.

Asisat Oshoala reign continues

Barcelona Femeni striker and star striker of the Nigeria Super Falcons Asisat Oshoala beat her rivals Thembi Kgatlana and Barbara Banda to win her sixth CAF Women's Player of the Year award.

The charismatic Nigerian continues her dominance of Women's football in Africa having won six of the last eight editions of the award.

Her constituency at top level while she is also able to make a stand in one of the best Women's football club in the world is just outrageous. Unfortunately for her rivals, she is just too great to be beaten.

While no nation has produced more than five different winners of the Men's Player of the Year award, Asisat Oshoala has won six of the Women's, extending her steak as the record winner of the award.


Oshoala's success also means Nigeria remains the only nation to have produced multiple winners of the award following the failure of South Africa's Thembi Kgatlana this time.

Four-time winner Perpetual Nwakocha and two time winner Cynthia Uwak are the two other names to win the award multiple times and both former Nigeria internationals.

Chiamaka Nnadozie and Super Falcons also recognized

Captain and Goalkeeper of the Super Falcons Chiamaka Nnadozie wins the Women's Goalkeeper of the Year at the CAF award nights following a sensational form for both club and country.

The 23-year-old was an absolute pleasure to watch between the sticks for Nigeria in the FIFA Women’s World Cup in the summer as the country kept three clean sheets in four games en route to losing to Lioness of England on penalties.

She also helped her club Paris FC finish in the top three of the Division 1 Feminine last season and reached the UEFA Women's Champions League qualification round.

Chiamaka Nnadozie continued her superb form and helped the club eliminate Arsenal and then Wolfsburg to reach the Group stages of the Women’s Champions League this season.

Super Falcons was also also recognized with the Women’s National Team of the Year. It is their fifth time winning the award having done so previously in 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018.

Unfortunately, Deborah Abiodun was beaten to the Women's Young Player of the Year award by Morocco's Nesryne El Chad.

Other winners of the night 

Best coach for Men (Walid Regragui of Morocco)
Best Women’s Manager (Desiree Ellis of South Africa)
Best goalkeeper (Yassine Bounou of Morocco)
Best goal (Mahmoud Kahraba of Egypt)
Best men’s national team (Morocco)
Best Young Player (Lamine Camara of Senegal)
Best Young Player female(Nesryne El Chad of Morocco)
Best Player in Africa (Percy Tau of South Africa)
The best player in Africa (Fatima Tagnant of Morocco)
Best Men’s team (Al-Ahly of Egypt)
Best Women’s team (Mamelodi Sundown Ladies FC of South Africa)



Hassan Afolabi 

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