Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Rasheedat Ajibade have been named among the finalists for the 2025 CAF Player of the Year awards, while goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and Bayelsa Queens forward Shakirat Moshood also earned recognition in their respective categories, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The Confederation of African Football released the final shortlist for the awards on Sunday ahead of the gala ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, November 19 in Rabat, Morocco.
The ceremony honours the continent’s top performers for the period from January 6 to October 15, 2025.
On the men’s side, Osimhen, currently making waves at Galatasaray, is joined by Mohamed Salah of Liverpool and Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain as finalists for the CAF African Player of the Year award.
Osimhen’s selection marks a continuation of Nigerian presence at the top of the men’s category, following Ademola Lookman in 2024 and Victor Osimhen himself in 2023.
In the Women’s Player of the Year category, Nigeria’s Ajibade, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and led the Super Falcons to 10th WAFCON title, joins Morocco’s Ghizlaine Chebbak of Al Hilal and Sanaa Mssoudy of AS FAR as the top three finalists.
CAF highlighted that these players delivered exceptional performances for both club and country during the season.
Nnadozie, now at Brighton & Hove Albion, features alongside Morocco’s Khadija Er-Rmichi and South Africa’s Andile Dlamini in the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year category.
Her nomination comes after a season of consistent displays between the posts for both her previous club Paris FC and the Super Falcons.
Moshood, who plays for Bayelsa Queens, earned a place in the Women’s Young Player of the Year shortlist alongside Morocco’s Doha El Madani and Senegal’s Adji Ndiaye.
CAF emphasised her rapid development and impact in domestic and continental competitions as factors behind her inclusion.
She led the Prosperity Girls to the final of the WAFU B Zonal Champions League as the club missed out on penalty shootout to ASEC Mimosas but she won the highest goal scorer before captaining the Flamingos to second round of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
CAF also confirmed that some awards, including Women’s Coach of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year and Club of the Year, will be announced following the conclusion of the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League Egypt 2025.
Falcons coach Justine Madugu is expected to feature prominently among the Coach of the Year finalists.
The Women’s Team of the Year shortlist includes Ghana, Morocco and Nigeria, recognising the national sides that have achieved notable success in continental competitions during the review period.
CAF stated that nominees were selected by a panel of experts comprising technical and development committee members, experienced coaches, CAF Legends and media representatives, who assessed performances across all competitions.
The 2025 CAF Awards will celebrate individual excellence as well as the achievements of clubs and national teams, highlighting the players and coaches who have made significant contributions to African football over the past year.
Nigeria’s strong showing across multiple categories underscores the depth of talent and ever-growing influence of its players on the continental stage.
