*The Napoli star pays tributes to Amuneke, Drogba
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Three Nigerians , Victor Osimhen, Asisat Oshoala and Chiamaka Nnadozie were on Monday night voted Africa’s Best Men’s Player of the Year, Best Women’s Player of the Year and Best Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year 2023 at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Award which held in Marrakech, Morocco.
The Super Falcons also emerged the Best Women’s National Team of the Year.
It was a beautiful night for Nigeria as the competitions were stiff and close to call in the men’s Best Men’s Player of the Year category in particular.
Osimhen saw off challenges from Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi and Egypt striker Mohamed Salah to land African football’s biggest individual prize.
The Napoli forward who led the Partenopei to their third Italian Scudetto last term after 33 years has joined the illustrious club of Nigerian legends like Rashidi Yekini, Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Ikpeba and Emmanuel Amuneke who were previously Africa’s best.
The CAF Award is coming barely a week after Osimhen was voted Italian Footballers Association Best Player of the Year.
He has thus ended a 24 years wait for another Africa Best Player award to a Nigerian male player. Nwankwo Kanu is the last Nigerian to win the award in 1999.
In his thank you message, Osimhen pays tributes to his coach at the Golden Eaglets, Emmanuel Amuneke who gave him the platform to kick off his career at the 2015 FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile where he emerged top scorer of that edition. Amuneke himself is a 1994 CAF player of the Year winner.
Osimhen also paid glowing tributes to former Chelsea legend, Didier Drogba for inspiring him with his sublime skills at Stamford Bridge for the Blues.
He’s the only male Nigerian player in the Africa Best XI squad.
For Oshoala, the award was her sixth, having previously won it in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022.
The 29-year-old striker beat South African Thembi Kgatlana and Zambia’s Barbara Banda to retain her crown at Monday’s awards gala in Marrakech.
It was however the first time for Nnadozie to emerge as the Best Women’s goalkeeper in Africa. After first showing the stuff she’s made of at the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France in 2019, the Super Falcons safe hands was spectacular at this year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Nnadozie made several jaw-dropping saves on her way to being crowned the first-ever CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award on Monday night.
The Paris FC captain beat fellow nominees Khadija Er-Rmichi of Morocco and South Africa’s Andile Dlamini to the groundbreaking prize at a dazzling CAF Awards ceremony in Marrakech.
Nnadozie underlined her credentials during this year’s Women’s World Cup, producing a player-of-the-match performance to thwart Canada in Nigeria’s opener. Her heroic hands pulled off a crucial penalty save and several other gravity-defying stops throughout the tournament.
The 25-year-old has also been integral in Paris FC’s success this season, keeping six clean sheets as they sealed a maiden Women’s Champions League qualification.
The Super Falcons who narrowly lost their Last 16 Round to England were voted the best Female Team in Africa to make it a quadruple for Nigeria on the night in Marrakech, Morocco.
Surprisingly, Nnadozie didn’t make the team of the year. Instead, her Super Falcons teammates Michelle Alozie (right back), Osinachi Ohale (central defender) and Oshoala completed the team in her role in the attack.
Other winners of the night include; Morocco’s safe hands, Yassine Bounoi whose heroics at the 2022 World Cup helped the Atlas Lions to become the first African team to play in the semi final of the Mundial in Qatar.
South Africa’s Desire Ellis was voted the best women’s Coach of the Year.
