Nigeria and Barcelona superstar Asisat Oshoala has been awarded the 2022 African Women’s Player of the Year.
Senegal and FC Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane won the men’s version of the award at the CAF Awards ceremony in Rabat on Thursday night.
The 27-year-old Oshoala picked the award ahead of Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon and Inter Milan) and Zambia international Grace Chanda (Zambia and BIIK Kazygurt), while Mane, 30, picked up his prize ahead of Egypt and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Senegal and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Oshoala has now become the first African to win this prestigious award for a record five times, overtaking her countrywoman Perpetua Nkwocha who claimed the accolade on four occasions.
She is also the fourth Nigerian to land the award, following in the footsteps of Mercy Akide (2001), Nkwocha (2004, 2005, 2010 & 2011) and the incredible Cynthia Uwak (2006 & 2007).
It is Mane’s second African Player of the Year title, making him the fifth African after El Hadji Diouf, Samuel Eto’o, Yaya Toure, and Salah to win the award in consecutive years since CAF took over the distribution of the award in 1992.
