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Nigerian Stars have been left out of the 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s Player of the Year shortlist, marking a major change in the country’s long-standing presence among Africa’s top individual football award contenders. The omission is particularly notable because Nigerian players have historically dominated the category, with Super Falcons legends accounting for a significant share of previous winners.
The Confederation of African Football released the first batch of nominees on Tuesday, November 3, ahead of the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony scheduled to take place in Lagos on December 7. While Nigeria secured nominations in other women’s categories, no Super Falcons player made the 10-woman shortlist for the prestigious Women’s Player of the Year award.
Among the notable Nigerian players missing from the list are Asisat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade and Chiamaka Nnadozie. Oshoala is a six-time winner of the award, while Ajibade has been one of Nigeria’s prominent attacking players in recent international competitions. Nnadozie, meanwhile, has established herself as one of Africa’s recognised goalkeepers after winning the CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award three consecutive times.
The absence of Nigerian players from the main individual category is particularly striking given the country’s historical influence on African women’s football. Nigerian players have won the Women’s Player of the Year award 13 times across its editions since 2001, with Oshoala, Perpetua Nkwocha, Cynthia Uwak and Mercy Akide contributing to that record.
Oshoala remains one of the most decorated players in the history of the award, having won it six times. Former Super Falcons striker Perpetua Nkwocha claimed the honour four times, while Cynthia Uwak won twice and Mercy Akide secured one title. Their achievements helped establish Nigeria as one of the leading forces in African women’s football.
The 2026 shortlist therefore represents a significant departure from the pattern that Nigerian supporters have become accustomed to. For the first time since the award was introduced in 2001, no Nigerian player has been included among the 10 nominees for the Women’s Player of the Year prize, according to reports following CAF’s announcement.
The shortlisted players come from seven African countries, with Cameroon providing three nominees. Marie Ngah Manga, Michaely Bihina and Monique Ngock are the Cameroonian representatives, reflecting the country’s strong performances during the period under consideration.
Malawi also has two players on the list through sisters Tabitha Chawinga and Temwa Chawinga. Both have earned recognition for their performances, while Temwa attracted additional attention after appearing among the leading players in the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or rankings.
Other nominees include Algeria’s Marine Dafeur, Ghana’s Portia Boakye, Morocco’s Hanane Aït El Haj, South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana and Zambia’s Barbra Banda. The shortlist features players from different football backgrounds and national teams, with several recognised for their contributions at club and international levels.
Banda, who won the CAF Women’s Player of the Year award in 2024, returns to the shortlist as one of Zambia’s leading football figures. Kgatlana, a former winner in 2018, also features among the nominees, adding experience to the field of contenders.
Cameroon’s presence is particularly notable following the country’s success at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Monique Ngock was named Player of the Tournament, while Michaely Bihina also earned recognition for her performances during the competition. Their inclusion reflects the impact of Cameroon’s campaign on the continental football scene.
The Indomitable Lionesses won the 2026 WAFCON title, while Malawi finished as runners-up. The tournament provided an important platform for players from both countries to demonstrate their abilities and strengthen their cases for individual recognition.
Nigeria’s Super Falcons, however, endured a disappointing tournament. The team was eliminated in the quarter-finals and subsequently failed to secure qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. These results formed part of the difficult period preceding the CAF nominations.
Although the Super Falcons remain one of the most successful national teams in African women’s football, their recent performances did not produce the same level of individual recognition in the headline category. The absence of their established stars has consequently attracted attention among Nigerian football followers.
Another major omission is Chiamaka Nnadozie, who did not make the 10-player shortlist for the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award. Her absence is especially surprising because she had won the award three consecutive times before this edition.
Nnadozie has continued her professional career with Brighton Women in England, where she has attracted attention for her goalkeeping performances. Despite her club performances, she was not included among the shortlisted goalkeepers announced by CAF.
Nigeria will nevertheless have representation in the goalkeeper category through Christiana Uzoma of Edo Queens. Her nomination provides the country with an opportunity to compete for the award despite Nnadozie’s absence.
Uzoma’s inclusion follows her performances with Edo Queens, including the club’s domestic campaign and participation in the WAFU-B Women’s Champions League qualifying tournament. She will face competition from nominees representing Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Zambia.
The other nominees in the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year category are Chloé N’Gazi of Algeria, Michaely Bihina of Cameroon, Cynthia Konlan of Ghana, Mercy Sikelo of Malawi, Fatoumata Karantao of Mali, Khadija Er-Rmichi of Morocco, Adji Ndiaye of Senegal, Kaylin Swart of South Africa and Hazel Nali of Zambia.
Michaely Bihina’s nomination in both the Women’s Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year categories is another notable feature of the announcement. Her performances during Cameroon’s successful WAFCON campaign helped establish her as one of the prominent names in the 2026 women’s nominations.
Nigeria also has two representatives in the Women’s Young Player of the Year category. Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi both earned places on the 10-player shortlist, giving the country an opportunity to compete for recognition among Africa’s emerging football talents.
Akekoromowei, who plays for Portuguese club Benfica, has been recognised for her performances with the Falconets and her development as a forward. Adegbuyi, who has featured for Robo Queens and the Flamingos, also earned a nomination following her performances in domestic and youth competitions.
Adegbuyi’s recognition is particularly notable after her achievements in the Nigeria Women’s Football League, where she was named Player of the Season and Most Valuable Player of the Super Six. Her nomination highlights the contribution of domestic football to Nigeria’s development of emerging female players.
The other nominees in the Young Player category include Romaine Gandonou of Benin, Maëva Nyadjou of Cameroon, Grace-Ruth Sery and N’Sira Ouédraogo of Côte d’Ivoire, Rose Kadzere of Malawi, Kautar Azraf of Morocco, Adji Ndiaye of Senegal and Winfrida Gerald of Tanzania.
At the national team level, the Super Falcons have also secured a nomination for Women’s National Team of the Year. Nigeria will compete against Algeria, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Morocco and South Africa.
The nomination means that Nigeria remains represented in the 2026 CAF Awards despite the absence of its senior players from the main individual category. The Super Falcons will have an opportunity to compete for team recognition, while Uzoma, Akekoromowei and Adegbuyi will represent the country in their respective individual categories.
The nominations also demonstrate that Nigeria’s representation at this year’s awards extends beyond established international stars. The inclusion of young players and a goalkeeper from the domestic league provides recognition for emerging talent and the country’s women’s football development pathway.
However, the absence of Oshoala, Ajibade and Nnadozie is likely to remain one of the most discussed aspects of the announcement. Their previous achievements and contributions to Nigerian football have made them familiar names at the CAF Awards, particularly in the women’s individual categories.
For Oshoala, the omission means she will not have the opportunity to add to her record six Women’s Player of the Year titles in 2026. Ajibade will also miss out on the chance to compete for the continent’s leading individual women’s football honour, while Nnadozie’s absence ends her run of consecutive goalkeeper award victories as a nominee.
The CAF Awards ceremony is scheduled for Monday, December 7, 2026, in Lagos, Nigeria. The event will bring together footballers, coaches, administrators and other personalities from across the continent to recognise outstanding performances during the relevant award period.
CAF has begun releasing the women’s categories, while additional nomination announcements are expected as preparations for the ceremony continue. The first lists should therefore not be mistaken for the complete set of nominations across every category at the 2026 awards.
For Nigerian supporters, attention will now turn to the country’s remaining nominees and their chances of securing honours in Lagos. Christiana Uzoma, Akekoromowei and Adegbuyi will carry Nigeria’s individual hopes in the announced women’s categories, while the Super Falcons will compete for the national team award.
Although the absence of Nigerian stars from the Women’s Player of the Year shortlist represents a major change in the country’s award history, Nigeria still has several opportunities to secure recognition. The 2026 nominations also provide a reminder of the growing competition across African women’s football, with players from Cameroon, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa and other countries receiving prominent recognition.
The final winners will be announced at the December ceremony. Until then, Nigerian football supporters will be watching closely to see whether the country’s remaining nominees can turn their shortlisting into awards and maintain Nigeria’s presence among Africa’s recognised women’s football nations.
