Two Super Falcons stars, Chiamaka Nnadozie and Rasheedat Ajibade, have earned nominations for the 2024 CAF Women’s Player of the Year award.

The recognition follows their outstanding performances for both club and country between January and October, stamping their places among Africa’s best talents in the women’s category.

For the first time in years, reigning champion Asisat Oshoala, a multiple-time winner of the prestigious award, has missed out on a nomination.

The former Barcelona Femeni forward, who claimed the title last year, has been a dominant figure in the category since 2022.

Nigeria’s standout goalkeeper, Nnadozie, has been in phenomenal form. She played a crucial role for the Super Falcons during the 2024 Olympic qualifiers and the main tournament, earning her a chance to win the Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second consecutive time.Nigerian football memorabilia

Her heroics also extended to her club, Paris FC, where she helped the French side reach the group stage of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Ajibade, on the other hand, has been a pivotal figure for Atlético Madrid and the Super Falcons. The forward was instrumental in securing Nigeria’s qualification for the 2024 Olympics after a 16-year absence.

At her club, she delivered consistently, winning Player of the Month awards in March and September, which further reveal her impact.Nigerian football memorabilia

The 2024 CAF Awards ceremony will take place on December 16 in Morocco, where Africa’s finest footballers will be celebrated.

Nnadozie and Ajibade will face tough competition from other nominees in the Women’s Player of the Year category, including:

Sandrine Niyonkuru (Burundi / FC Masar)
Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi / Olympique Lyonnais)
Temwa Chawinga (Malawi / Kansas City)
Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)
Jermaine Seoposenwe (South Africa / Monterrey)
Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa / Tigres UANL)
Barbara Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)
Racheal Kundananji (Zambia / Bay FC)

Two Nigerian coaches, Bankole Olowookere and Christopher Danjuma, have been nominated for the 2024 CAF Awards, according to Soccernet.ng

Olowookere led the Super Flamingos of Nigeria to the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup held in the Dominican Republic.

His team delivered outstanding performances in the group stage, defeating New Zealand 4-1, Ecuador 4-0, and the host nation 1-0 to top their group with nine points.

Despite their impressive form, the Flamingos lost 2-0 in the quarterfinals. Nigeria was the only African team to reach the knockout stage.

Danjuma also guided the U-20 women’s team, the Falconets, to an impressive outing at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The team defeated South Korea and Venezuela in the group stage but exited in the round of 16 after losing to Japan.

Nigeria was again the only African team to progress beyond the group stage, as Cameroon, Ghana, and Morocco were all eliminated early.

Olowookere and Danjuma are among the nominees for the CAF Awards alongside other prominent coaches, including:

Hassan Balla Abdousalami (Cameroon U-20)
Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe)
Ahmed Ramadan (FC Masar)
Mildred Cheche (Kenya U-17)
Mohamed Amine Alioua (AS FAR)
Moses Adukwu (Edo Queens)
Mbayang Thiam (Aigles de la Medina)
Thinasonke Mbuli (University of the Western Cape)

Organizers of the prestigious Nigeria Pitch Awards have announced plans to host the 11th edition of the annual football awards. Speaking in the nation’s capital, Abuja, Shina Philips, the President of the Nigeria Pitch Awards, stated that arrangements, including the hosting an award Conference, have been concluded.

‘We have lined up a schedule of interesting events to make the 11h edition of the awards a historic success.’ Philips said. Speaking further, Philips stated that voting by sports editors spread across the 36 states of the federation would begin on Monday 25th November 2024 and end on Sunday 5th January 2025.

He stated further that collation of votes would be done by SIAO Partners, Nigeria’s foremost indigenous accounting and auditing firm which have the awards’ independent vote collation body in the last decade. Announcement of nominees will be done at a Press Conference on 12 January 2025 in Lagos.

‘The 11th Award Ceremony will be preceded by an Award Conference scheduled to host an array of guests and speakers from across the globe. The Conference, with the theme ‘A Viable Football Ecosystem as Catalyst for Economic Prosperity In Nigeria’, is designed to engender discussions on how the country can manage football to achieve economic prosperity for Nigeria and Nigerians.’ he noted.

Lenders Consult International has over the years been passionate about galvanizing support for growth of Nigerian football through their capacity building efforts. In May 2011, the firm organized the first-ever FIFA/NFF Players’ Agents Workshop in Lagos. The training which attracted top FIFA representation, was attended by over a hundred football agents from Nigeria and abroad.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to be the Special Guest of Honour. Other dignitaries expected are Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Executive Governor of Lagos State, Mr Amaju Pinnick, a member of the FIFA Executive Committee, Alhaji Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, football managers, sports journalists and top football stars from across the football community.

Mr Shina Philips expressed the Organizers gratitude to the Nigeria Football Federation and sports editors and journalists across the country for their support for the Nigeria Pitch Awards since 2012 while reiterating Organizers continual commitment to the development of football and sport in general.

The Nigeria Pitch Awards was endorsed by the Nigeria Football Federation in 2012. The 11th Awards Ceremony is scheduled to hold in March 2025.