2026 CAF Awards: Super Falcons stars missing from Women’s Player of the Year shortlist

Nigeria’s Super Falcons players have been left out of the nominees for the 2026 CAF Women’s Player of the Year award.

The Confederation of African Football, CAF, unveiled the shortlist for the various award categories on Tuesday, with no Nigerian player making the final list in the women’s category.

The omission comes after the Super Falcons’ disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria suffered a quarter-final exit against eventual champions Cameroon.

Nigeria has historically dominated the award, with former Super Falcons stars Perpetua Nkwocha and Asisat Oshoala winning the prestigious honour multiple times.

This year’s shortlist features players from seven countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Malawi, Morocco, South Africa and Zambia.

Cameroon leads the nominations with three players, reflecting its impressive performances in women’s football. The country’s nominees are Marie Ngah Manga, Michaely Bihina and Monique Ngock.

Algeria is represented by Marine Dafeur, while Ghana’s sole nominee is Portia Boakye.

Malawi has two representatives, sisters Tabitha Chawinga and Temwa Chawinga. Morocco’s Hanane Ait El Haj, South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana and Zambia’s Barbara Banda complete the shortlist.