Copper Queens duo of Barbra Banda and Rachel Kundananji has made the top ten shorlist for the 2024 CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award.
After winning the title for the last two years in a row, Asisat Oshoala, the current holder of the award, was left off the 2024 nomination list.
Oshoala, 30, who now plays for Bay FC in the United States of America, has claimed the award six times, with her initial victory a decade ago.
Who else has been nominated?
Among the noteworthy nominees are the talented Malawian sisters, Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga.
Temwa, 26, has been in form for Kansas City Current, where she has found the back of the net 21 times from 27 matches with six assists, while 28-year-old Tabitha has six goals in eight matches for Lyon in the French Première Ligue.
The list also includes Sandrine Niyonkuru (Burundi/FC Masar), Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco/AS FAR), Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria/Paris FC), Rasheedat Ajibade (Nigeria/Atletico Madrid), Jermaine Seoposenwe (South Africa/Monterrey), and Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa/Tigres UANL).
Zambian striker Banda has been tipped to be the frontrunner to win the 2024 accolade following an impressive 12th finish in the Balon d’Or and her recent third ranking in the ESPN Top 50 Women Footballers for 2024.
The Orlando Pride Striker has made a significant impact in the NWSL, playing a key role in guiding Pride to the championship final, where they are set to face Washington Spirit this Saturday.
Banda’s numbers have been impressive for both club and country, scoring 16 goals for the club and four for Zambia, including a hat trick at the Olympic Games in Paris—her third—to boast the most hat tricks in the women’s football tournament.
Meanwhile, Zambian head coach Bruce Mwape, despite guiding the team to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, did not make the shortlist for the Women Coach of the Year category, while his team has been nominated for the Team of the Year award.
Goalkeeper Catherine Musonda has also been nominated for the second consecutive year.
The winners are to be announced at the CAF Awards ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 16.
