By Wale Mustapha
Four players from Nigeria’s Super Falcons—Rasheedat Ajibade, Chiamaka Nnadozie, Michelle Alozie, and Esther Okoronkwo—have been named in the CAF Technical Study Group’s Best XI of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
Ajibade, who captained Nigeria during the tournament, was also named Most Valuable Player (MVP).
The 24-year-old scored one goal, provided two assists, and earned three Woman of the Match awards during the competition held in Morocco.
Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie was named Best Goalkeeper after keeping four clean sheets in six matches. The only goals she conceded came during Nigeria’s final match against hosts Morocco.
Defender Michelle Alozie was recognized as the best right-back of the tournament. The Houston Dash player featured in five of Nigeria’s six matches, contributing both defensively and offensively throughout the competition.
Esther Okoronkwo, who plays for AFC Toronto, made the list after an impressive campaign that saw her score twice and provide six assists in six appearances. She also received two Woman of the Match awards.
Nigeria, who reached the final of the tournament, had the most representatives in the Best XI.
Runners-up Morocco had two players included—Ghizlane Chebbak and Ibtissam Jraidi—while Ghana’s Portia Boakye and Grace Asantewaa were also selected.
South Africa rounded out the team with three players: Bambanani Mbane, Karabo Dhlamini, and Refiloe Jane.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
