Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Rasheedat Ajibade have been listed among the finalists for the 2025 CAF Player of the Year honours, with goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and Bayelsa Queens forward Shakirat Moshood also making the cut in their respective categories.
CAF unveiled the final shortlist on Sunday ahead of the awards gala set for Wednesday, November 19, in Rabat, Morocco. The ceremony will recognise Africa’s standout performers from January 6 to October 15, 2025.
In the men’s category, Osimhen—currently starring for Galatasaray—joins Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi in the race for the African Player of the Year title.
His nomination extends Nigeria’s strong presence in the category, following Ademola Lookman’s triumph in 2024 and Osimhen’s own win in 2023.
For the Women’s Player of the Year award, Ajibade, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain and helped guide the Super Falcons to their 10th WAFCON crown, is shortlisted alongside Morocco’s Ghizlaine Chebbak of Al Hilal and Sanaa Mssoudy of AS FAR.
CAF noted that all shortlisted players delivered exceptional performances for both club and country during the evaluation period.
Nnadozie, now with Brighton & Hove Albion, appears on the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year shortlist with Morocco’s Khadija Er-Rmichi and South Africa’s Andile Dlamini, following a season of reliable displays for Paris FC and the Super Falcons.
Moshood, representing Bayelsa Queens, secured a place among the Women’s Young Player of the Year finalists with Morocco’s Doha El Madani and Senegal’s Adji Ndiaye. CAF pointed to her rapid growth and influence in both domestic and continental competitions.
She led Bayelsa Queens to the WAFU B Zonal Champions League final—where they narrowly lost to ASEC Mimosas on penalties—finished as top scorer and later captained the Flamingos into the second round of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
CAF also announced that several categories, including Women’s Coach of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year and Club of the Year, will be finalised after the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League Egypt 2025. Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu is expected to be a strong contender.
The Women’s Team of the Year shortlist features Ghana, Morocco and Nigeria, acknowledging teams with outstanding performances in continental competitions.
CAF explained that the selections were made by a panel of technical experts, coaches, CAF Legends and media members who evaluated performances across all competitions.
The 2025 CAF Awards aim to celebrate individual brilliance as well as the achievements of clubs and national teams, highlighting those who have significantly shaped African football over the past year. Nigeria’s broad representation across categories reflects the nation’s growing depth and influence on the continental stage.
