Nigeria’s female striker, Asisat Oshoala, has won the 2023 CAF Women’s Player of The Year at the ongoing Confederation of African Football awards.
The ‘Agba baller’ crooner is regarded as one of the most
celebrated African female footballers of all time and the first Super Falcons
player to score at three consecutive FIFA World Cups.
Oshoala had become a household name in the Nigerian and
African football space. Having made her senior team debut in September 2013,
Oshoala won the prestigious women’s football award in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019,
2022, and recently 2023.
In her acceptance speech at the awards venue in Morocco, the
Barcelona Femeni forward appreciated her coaches from the grassroots to the
national and club levels.
She also urged African football federations to unite and
work together to give the continent’s football a great facelift.
She said, “This night, I would love to use this opportunity
to thank everyone who has been part of my journey from grassroots football to
the national level to the club side. Because without you, my coaches, and my
teammates, there will be no me.
“Football is a team sport; it’s a team game and I urge all
the federations in Africa to please come together; let’s work together and
build our continent. Let’s make it the best in the world.”
“It is very possible; it happened in the last men’s World
Cup; we saw what happened, and we shocked the world. In the last World Cup, all
the national teams that represented Africa in Australia made history,” adding
that “before the next World Cup, we can get better, we can do better and we can
win it for sure. Because at the end of the day, if we don’t support ourselves,
nobody will come to Africa; nobody will come to this continent to support us.
“We have to work together as a team because football is a
team sport. Let’s start at home and go to the world and conquer it.”
Full List of Award Winners:
Player of the Year (Men): Victor Osimhen (Nigeria, Napoli)
Player of the Year (Women): Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria, Barcelona)
Interclub Player of the Year (Men): Percy Tau (South Africa, Al Ahly)
Interclub Player of the Year (Women): Fatima Tagnaout (Morocco, AS FAR)
Coach of the Year (Men): Walid Regragui (Morocco)
Coach of the Year (Women): Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
Goalkeeper of the Year (Men): Yassine Bounou (Morocco, Al Hilal)
Goalkeeper of the Year (Women): Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria, Paris FC)
Young Player of the Year (Men): Lamine Camara (Senegal, Metz)
Young Player of the Year (Women): Nesryne El Chad (Morocco, Lille)
National Team of the Year (Men): Morocco
National Team of the Year (Women): Nigeria
Club of the Year (Men): Al Ahly (Egypt)
Club of the Year (Women): Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)