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.”

Oshoala secured the CAF Women's Player of the Year for a record sixth time. The attacker’s dominance continued as she inspired Barcelona to Champions League glory, finishing as the club's top scorer with 27 goals across all competitions.

Morocco's Walid Regragui was crowned CAF's Best Coach of the Year in the Men's category – recognised for guiding the Atlas Lions to a historic World Cup semi-final run in Qatar.

South Africa's Desiree Ellis secured the Best Coach award in the women's category for her outstanding work with Banyana Banyana. This was Ellis’ record fourth award in this category, which she has won consistently since 2018.

In CAF InterClub, South Africa and Al Ahly’s Percy Tau won the CAF InterClub Player of the Year.

Senegal's Lamine Camara, the 19-year-old FC Metz forward, clinched the CAF Young Player of the Year award, marking his meteoric rise in African football.

Moroccan prodigy Nesryne El Chad won the inaugural CAF Women's Young Player of the Year award.

Morocco won the Men’s National Team award following their performance at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, while Nigeria won the Women’s National Team of the Year award.

Egyptian giants Al Ahly clinched the Male Club of the Year award, with the women’s award going to South African side Mamelodi Sundowns.

South Africa dominated the continent’s Best XI players in the Women Category while two members of Morocco’s World Cup semi-final team were included in the male version.

The ultimate winners in each category were decided through a voting process involving a panel comprising CAF Technical Committee, Head Coaches, National Team captains and media professionals.


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)