*Monday Gift also listed for Young Player of the Year award
Former winners Asisat Oshoala and and South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana are on the updated 10-player shortlist for the Confederation of African Football (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 made 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.
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.
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.
Player of the Year Shortlist
- 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 (S’Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Bambanani Mbane (S’Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Thembi Kgatlana (S’Africa & Atletico Madrid)
- Refiloe Jane (S’Africa & AC Milan)
- Grace Chanda (Zambia & BIIK Kazygurt)
