Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala from Nigeria took center stage at the CAF Awards 2023 held in Marrakech, Morocco, on the night of December 11, 2023.
Osimhen, the Nigerian striker who gained prominence in Italy and made significant contributions to the Super Eagles, secured the prestigious CAF African Player of the Year for the first time. Facing tough competition from Moroccan full-back Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian striker Mohammed Salah, Osimhen’s outstanding journey was duly recognized.
On the women’s front, Nigerian icon Oshoala bagged her record-breaking sixth CAF African Women’s Player of the Year. Her stellar performances continued as she propelled Barcelona to Champions League victory, ending as the club’s top scorer with an impressive 27 goals across all competitions.
In the coaching arena, Morocco’s Walid Regragui earned the title of CAF’s Best Coach of the Year in the Men’s category for guiding the Atlas Lions to a historic World Cup semi-final run in Qatar. South Africa’s Desiree Ellis, acclaimed for her exceptional work with Banyana Banyana, secured the Best Coach award in the women’s category. Remarkably, this marked Ellis’ fourth consecutive win in this category since 2018.
Percy Tau, representing South Africa and Al Ahly, claimed the CAF InterClub Player of the Year in the InterClub category. Senegal’s Lamine Camara, a 19-year-old forward from FC Metz, earned the CAF Young Player of the Year award, showcasing his rapid ascent in African football.
The inaugural CAF Women’s Young Player of the Year award went to Moroccan prodigy Nesryne El Chad. The Men’s National Team award went to Morocco, acknowledging their performance at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, while Nigeria secured the Women’s National Team of the Year award.
Egyptian giants Al Ahly were crowned Male Club of the Year, and the women’s award went to South African side Mamelodi Sundowns. South Africa dominated the continent’s Best XI players in the Women Category, while two members of Morocco’s World Cup semi-final team were included in the male version.
The winners in each category were determined through a comprehensive voting process involving a panel consisting of CAF Technical Committee members, Head Coaches, National Team captains, and media professionals.
CAF Awards 2023 Winners List
- Men’s Player of the Year: Victor Osimhen (Napoli and Nigeria)
- Women’s Player of the Year: Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona and Nigeria)
- Men’s Coach of the Year: Walid Regragui (Morocco)
- Women’s Coach of the Year: Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
- Men’s National Team of the Year: Morocco
- Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria
- Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal and Morocco)
- Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Paris FC and Nigeria)
- Men’s Young Player of the Year: Lamine Camara (Metz and Senegal)
- Women’s Young Player of the Year: Nesryne El Chad (Lille and Morocco)
- Men’s Club of the Year: Al Ahly (Egypt)
- Women’s Club of the Year: Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- Men’s Interclub Player of the Year: Percy Tau (Al Ahly and South Africa)
- Women’s Interclub Player of the Year: Fatima Tagnaout (AS FAR and Morocco)
