Osimhen and Oshoala Emerge African King and Queen at 2023 CAF Awards

Khadijah Balogun

 A night of celebration unfolded in Marrakech, Morocco as Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala were crowned the African Footballers of the Year for 2023 in the male and female categories respectively just as Nigeria also claimed the inaugural Best African Goalkeeper of the Year award (Female) won by Chiamaka Nnadozie and the Best National Team (Female) Award at the same event.

Osimhen's triumph brought an end to Nigeria's 24-year wait for the coveted individual football accolade as Nigeria’s Nwankwo Kanu last secured the honor in 1999 when Osimhen was less than a year old while Oshoala's historic win added another chapter to her football career as she is now the all-time best female player in Africa with six wins to her name, two more than her Nigerian compatriot, Perpetua Nkwocha, who has four accolades to her own name.

In the highly contested male category, Osimhen emerged victorious with challenges posed by Morocco's Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah.

                                    L-R Victor Osimeh, Asisat Oshoala at the 2023 CAF Awards

 

Meanwhile, in the female category, Asisat Oshoala secured her position as the African Women’s Player of the Year for an unprecedented sixth time, adding another illustrious achievement to her already impressive career. Additionally, Nigeria’s Super Falcons goalkeeper, Chinaza Nnadozie. It was the first time a country won both the male and female categories of the coveted crowns.

Nigeria’s capture of the Best National Team (Female) was an acknowledgement of collective excellence exemplified by the Super Falcons, Nigeria's women's national team to further affirm the country's dominance in African women's football.

Unfortunately, Deborah Abiodun missed out on the African Young Player award, losing to Moroccan rival Nesryne El Chad in the youth category. Nevertheless, Osimhen has joined the ranks of past winners like Rashidi Yekini, Victor Ikpeba, Emmanuel Amunike, and Kanu Nwakwo, solidifying his name in Nigerian and Africa’s football greats.

Ibrahim Musa Gusau, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation, expressed elation at the nation's triumphs at the CAF Awards. He congratulated the winners and urged them to maintain their dedication and continuous improvement in the pursuit of further accolades.

“I am very excited tonight. This has been hugely rewarding for our football and for our country as a whole," remarked President Gusau, emphasizing the significance of the achievements. He extended congratulations not only to Osimhen, Oshoala, and Nnadozie but also to the Super Falcons as a collective force for bringing honor to Nigeria. Gusau's charge to the awardees echoed with a call to persist in their exemplary performances and strive for continuous success, as he envisioned a limitless trajectory for their future endeavors.

Historically, CAF began giving out the awards in 1992 when Abedi Pele of Ghana was adjudged the best African Footballer but Salif Kaita of Mali won what could be regarded as the inaugural award as given out by France Football Magazine to recognize outstanding African footballers, an award that was discontinued in 1994.

Nigeria has taken home a number of the CAF organized awards through the likes of Rashidi Yekini, Victor Ikpeba, Emmanuel Amunike, and Kanu Nwakwo at the peak of the country’s soccer dominance in Africa in the 90s. Austin J.J. Okocha is still regarded in many quarters as the best African footballer never to win the award despite his great exploits around the world in soccer.