Chawinga sisters, Banda, Ajibade earn CAF awards nominations

Malawian Chawinga sisters Temwa and Tabitha, Zambian Barbra Banda and Nigerian Rasheedat Ajibade have earned nominations for the 2025 CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award.

Temwa, who stars for Kansas Current FC in America and Lyon’s Tabitha have earned the shortlist alongside Zambians Rachel Kundananji from Bay FC and Banda of Orlando Pride in America.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Nigerian star Ajibade and her national team mate Esther Okoronkwo from AFC Toronto have also made the list which comprises Ghanaian Portia Boakye (Hapoel Petah).

Goalkeeper of the Year category has attracted two-time winner Nigerian Chiamaka Nnadozie of Brighton and Hove Albion, Mamelodi Sundowns ladies’ Andile Dlamini and her club mate Sedilame Boseja and TP Mazembe’s Fideline Ndoy, among others.

There are also other categories of Women’s Interclub Player of the Year whose nominees include Botswana’s Gaborone Ladies’ Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse, her team mate Maungo Maponga, AS FAR’s Sanaa Mssoudy, Doha El Madani and Sundowns’ Bambani Mbane.

Moroccan Lamia Boumehdi and South Africa’s Desiree Ellis have earned nominations in coach of the year accolade.

Who selected the nominated players?

The Confederation of African Football announced the nominees on Friday to recognize the outstanding performance of the players on and outside the continent in the past 12 months.

The shortlisted players will be rated based on their performance for the period of January to October 2025, according to CAF statement.

A panel of journalists, football legends and coaches shortlisted 10 best in each category.

Full categories

WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

Portia Boakye (Ghana/Hapoel Petah Tikva)

Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi/OL Lyonnes)

Temwa Chawinga (Malawi/Kansas City)

Ghizlaine Chebbak (Morocco/Al Hilal)

Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco/AS FAR)

Esther Okoronkwo (Nigeria/AFC Toronto)

Rasheedat Ajibade (Nigeria/Paris Saint-Germain)

Mama Diop (Senegal/RC Strasbourg)

Barbra Banda (Zambia/Orlando Pride)

Rachael Kundananji (Zambia/Bay FC)

WOMEN’S GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

Chloe N’Gazi (Algeria/Olympique de Marseille)

Sedilame Boseja (Botswana/Mamelodi Sundowns)

Fideline Ndoy (DRC/TP Mazembe)

Habiba Emad (Egypt/FC Masar)

Cynthia Konlan (Ghana/Swieqi United)

Fatoumata Karantao (Mali/USFAS Bamako)

Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco/AS FAR)

Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria/Brighton & Hove Albion)

Adji Ndiaye (Senegal/AS Bambey)

Andile Dlamini (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns)

WOMEN’S INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

Gaonyadiwe Ontlametse (Botswana/Gaborone United)

Maungo Maponga (Botswana/Gaborone United)

Ami Diallo (Cote d’Ivoire/ASEC Mimosas)

Habibou Ouedraogo (Cote d’Ivoire/ASEC Mimosas)

Ana Maria Nchama (Equatorial Guinea/15 de Agosto)

Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco/AS FAR)

Doha El Madani (Morocco/AS FAR)

Oumou Koné (Mali/USFAS Bamako)

Bambanani Mbane (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns)

Jamila Rajab (Tanzania/JKT Queens)

WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

Adelaide Koudougnon (Côte d’Ivoire U-17)

Siaka Gigi Traoré (ASEC Mimosas/Côte d’Ivoire)

Lamia Boumehdi (Morocco/TP Mazembe)

Genoveva Anonma (Equatorial Guinea/15 de Agosto)

Lars Kim (Ghana)

Jorge Vilda (Morocco)

Bankole Olowookere (Nigeria U-17)

Justin Madugu (Nigeria)

Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

Carol Kanyemba (Zambia U-17)

WOMEN’S YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

Habiba Essam (Egypt/Al Ahly)

Habiba Sabry (Egypt/FC Masar)

Stella Nyamekye (Ghana/Fort Lauderdale United)

Doha El Madani (Morocco/AS FAR)

Shakirat Abidemi Moshood (Nigeria/Bayelsa Queens)

Adji Ndiaye (Senegal/AS Bambey)

Esther Maseke Marwa (Tanzania/JKT Queens)

Winfrida Gerald (Tanzania/JKT Queens)

Mercy Chipasula (Zambia/Mighty Wanderers)

Ruth Mukoma (Zambia/Zesco United)

WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

Cameroon U-17

Côte d’Ivoire U-17

Ghana

Mali

Morocco

Nigeria

Nigeria U-17

South Africa

Tanzania

Zambia U-17

WOMEN’S CLUB OF THE YEAR

Nominees:

Gaborone United (Botswana)

ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)

TP Mazembe (DR Congo)

15 de Agosto (Equatorial Guinea)

USFAS Bamako (Mali)

AS FAR (Morocco)

Bayelsa Queens (Nigeria)

Aigles de la Medina (Senegal)

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

JKT Queens (Tanzania)

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