FOUR Nigerian players — Victor Osimhen, Asisat Oshoala, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Deborah Abiodun — are in the final shortlists for the CAF Awards in different categories.
The awards will be held in Marrakech, Morocco on December 11.
The Confederation of African Football unveiled the final shortlists of three each for all the categories today.
In the African Player of the Year category, Super Eagles and Napoli striker Osimhen survived the cut from five and will be vying with former winner Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Achraf Hakimi of Morocco.
Oshoala, who has already made history by winning the African Player of the Year (Women) prize five times previously, is in the top three again.
The Super Falcons and Barcelona striker is up against South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana and Barbara Banda of Zambia.
Super Falcons and Paris FC goalkeeper Nnadozie was cut from the Player of the Year after making the top 10 but she remains in contention for the Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Nnadozie will contend with Khadija Er-Rmichi of Morocco and South Africa’s Andile Dlamini for the shot stopper prize.
Super Falcons midfielder Abiodun is in the top three of the Young Player of the Year (Women) award along with Comfort Yeboah of Ghana and Morocco’s Nesryne El Chad.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons, who had the best outing at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup among the African teams, are in the running for National Team of the Year (Women) with Morocco and South Africa, who also impressed at the global tournament.
However, Randy Waldrum, who led the Super Falcons to the World Cup, has been cut from the Coach of the Year (Women) nominations, leaving Reynald Pedro of Morocco, Desiree Ellis of South Africa and Jerry Tshabalala of Mamelodi Sundowns.
In other categories, Senegal’s Aliou Cisse, Morocco’s Walid Regragui and USM Alger’s Algerian coach Abdelhak Benchika are vying for Coach of the Year (Men), while Al Ahly, Wydad and Mamelodi Sundowns are up for Club of the Year (Men), and AS FAR, Sporting Casablanca and Mamelodi Sundowns are the final nominees for Club of the Year (Women).
