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Nigeria and Morocco steal the show at African football awards

The award for the best African male player of the year attracts significant attention from football fans, not only in Africa but also globally. Last Monday, The African Football Confederation (CAF) awarded the Nigerian Super Eagle Victor Osimhen, who plays for the Italian club Napoli with the award for the best player in Africa for the first time in his career at the annual awards ceremony of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), as well as it being the first time a Nigerian has picked up the award since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.

Osimhen competed for the award against the Egyptian Pharaoh Mohamed Salah, the winger for Liverpool, and Moroccan Atlas Lion Achraf Hakimi, the full-back for Paris Saint-Germain.

Osimhen has unequivocally proven that he deserves to be on the final list of candidates for the African men’s Player of the Year award, following an exceptional season where he led his team Napoli to win the Scudetto -Italian Serie A- title for the first time in 33 years.

Best female player of the year

Nigerian icon Oshoala clinched the CAF Women’s Player of the Year for an unprecedented sixth time. The attacker’s remarkable performance persisted as she played a pivotal role in guiding Barcelona to Champions League victory, concluding the season as the club’s leading scorer with an impressive tally of 27 goals across all competitions.

Barcelona star Oshoala made it a night to remember for Nigeria, the 29-year-old – who went to the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand this year – holds on to the trophy she won last year. She beat off competition from South Africa and Racing Louisville’s Thembi Kgatlana and Zambia and Shanghai Sengli’s Barbra Banda.

Moroccan dominance

Morocco showcased its supremacy at the CAF Awards ceremony by securing victories in multiple categories. Winning awards for the best men’s coach, best men’s national team, and best men’s goalkeeper. Additionally, Moroccan players were present in the lineup for the best 11 players in the continent.

The head coach of the Moroccan national team, Walid Regragui, earned the accolade for the best men’s coach in Africa. Regragui achieved a historic feat with the Moroccan national team by securing the fourth position in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, marking an unprecedented accomplishment in Arab and African football.

Regragui’s journey with the Moroccan national team was prompted by the unexpected dismissal of Bosnian coach Vahid Halilhodžić three months before the World Cup. Despite the challenging circumstances, Regragui exceeded all expectations and guided the “Atlas Lions” to the semi-finals.

 

The Moroccan national team also won the award for the best men’s national team in Africa after achieving an unprecedented feat by reaching the fourth position in the World Cup, making it the first Arab and African team to achieve such success in the tournament.

Continuing with the accomplishments of the “Atlas Lions,” Moroccan player Yassine Bounou, who currently plays for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia, secured the award for the best goalkeeper in Africa for the year 2023. This marks his first time receiving this prestigious accolade in his career. Surpassing both Mohamed El Shenawy, the goalkeeper for Al Ahly and the Egyptian national team, and Cameroonian André Onana, who currently plays for Manchester United and previously for Inter Milan in the votes.

Bounou made a remarkable contribution to Morocco’s national team, particularly during the World Cup, notably in the Round of 16 against Spain and the quarter-finals against Portugal. His excellence extended to his former team, Sevilla, where he played a pivotal role in winning the UEFA Europa League title. Following his move to Saudi club Al Hilal, he continued to shine and received the Best Goalkeeper awards for the months of October and November. This year, he became the highest-ranked African goalkeeper in the history of the Ballon d’Or, securing the 13th position.

Big stage presence

Nigeria’s Super Falcons won the Women’s National Team of the Year, and Chiamaka Nnadozie, the star from Paris FC, received the Women’s Goalkeeper Award.

As for the clubs, without surprise, Al Ahly won the award for the Best Club of the Year 2023 due to their victory in the CAF Champions League against Wydad Casablanca, marking their 11th title in history. Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa won the award in the women’s category.

South African Desiree Ellis secured her fourth CAF Coach of the Year award, a testament to her outstanding leadership as she guided Banyana Banyana to their inaugural appearance in the World Cup.

Senegal’s Lamine Camara, the 19-year-old forward from FC Metz, clinched the CAF men’s Young Player of the Year, signaling his remarkable ascent in African football.

Moroccan prodigy Nesryne El Chad secured the inaugural CAF women’s Young Player of the Year award.

African Team of the Year 2023

These players were selected in the African women Team of the Year.

As for the men’s team, it is as follows:

Author

  • Mohammad Joseph

    Mohammad, 23, is a trilingual Palestinian born and raised in Jerusalem, that always brags about being from the same “birthplace of the legendary Jesus Christ”. An aspiring sports journalist, previously having experience in the marketing world now looking to achieve his dreams of covering the sports he loves, from football to mixed martial arts. He is the co-social media editor for the Sports Gazette.

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