Lagos, Nigeria | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Big news from the CAF Awards 2023 in Marrakech, Morocco! Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala from Nigeria snagged the top individual honors on Monday night, December 11, 2023.
Osimhen, the Nigerian striker who wowed everyone in Italy and rocked the Super Eagles jersey, bagged the CAF African Player of the Year for the first time. Meanwhile, Oshoala, his compatriot, clinched her record-breaking sixth CAF African Women’s Player of the Year.
Osimhen’s journey to the top wasn’t a cakewalk; he faced tough competition from Moroccan full-back Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian striker Mohammed Salah. His standout performance included 26 goals in 32 appearances, helping Napoli secure the Serie A title – a feat they hadn’t achieved since 1990. He also nailed five goals in four Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches, earning Nigeria a spot in next year’s tournament. And hey, almost forgot to mention, Osimhen grabbed the eighth spot in the men’s Ballon d’Or vote a couple of months ago, making history as the first Nigerian in the top 10.
As for Oshoala, she’s now the undisputed queen with her sixth CAF Women’s Player of the Year title. The Barcelona star led her team to Champions League glory, finishing as the top scorer with a whopping 27 goals in all competitions.
Now, let’s give a shoutout to the coaches. Morocco’s Walid Regragui snagged the Best Coach of the Year in the Men’s category, steering the Atlas Lions to a historic World Cup semi-final run in Qatar. On the women’s side, South Africa’s Desiree Ellis nailed the Best Coach award for her fantastic work with Banyana Banyana – and get this, it’s her fourth time winning this since 2018.
Percy Tau from South Africa and Al Ahly scored the CAF InterClub Player of the Year. Senegal’s rising star, Lamine Camara, scooped the CAF Young Player of the Year, and Morocco’s Nesryne El Chad clinched the inaugural CAF Women’s Young Player of the Year.
Morocco bagged the Men’s National Team award for their standout performance at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, while Nigeria snagged the Women’s National Team of the Year award.
Club-wise, Egyptian giants Al Ahly nailed the Male Club of the Year, and South African champs Mamelodi Sundowns took home the Women’s Club of the Year.
South Africa dominated the Best XI players in the Women Category, while Morocco’s World Cup semi-final team had two standout players in the male version.
The winners were decided through a voting process involving a panel of CAF Technical Committee members, Head Coaches, National Team captains, and media professionals. Talk about a star-studded night!
Ladies & gentlemen, here's your 2023 Men's Player of the Year. ✌️@victorosimhen9 🦅#CAFAwards2023 pic.twitter.com/YMRmvbxYCG
— CAF (@CAF_Online) December 11, 2023
