Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala have earned spots in the final three-man list for the CAF Player of the Year awards in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively.
Osimhen, the top scorer in the 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifiers, is set to contend with football stars including Egypt’s Mohammed Salah, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, and Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez for the coveted accolade.
The Nigerian striker played a pivotal role in Napoli’s Scudetto triumph, securing the Golden Boot with an impressive tally of 26 goals.
Reigning African women’s player of the year, Oshoala, faces competition from South Africa’s Thembi Klagtlana and Zambia’s Barbara Banda in her quest for the top prize.
Oshoala’s remarkable performance included scoring 21 goals in 28 games to lead FC Barcelona to the 2022/23 Spanish League title.
She also emerged as the top scorer for the Spanish club with 27 goals across all competitions and played a crucial role in Barcelona’s retention of the domestic title and triumph in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Additionally, Oshoala made history at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup by becoming the first Nigerian and the first female African player to score at three different editions of the tournament.
The award ceremony is scheduled to take place on December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco.