Nkwocha celebrates Oshoala over bagging sixth African Women’s Player of the Year

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Reactions and encomiums have started coming in for Nigeria’s senior women’s national team forward, Asisat Oshoala after winning the 2024 CAF Women’s Player of the Year prize in Cairo on Monday.

The FC Barcelona star won her sixth African Women Player of the Year gong for a record-extending feat.

The award recognized Oshoala’s form for club and country in 2023 as she helped the nine-time African champions to the Round of 16 at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and Barcelona to second European title.

Four-time winner Perpetua Nkwocha (2004, 2005, 2010, and 2011) from Nigeria added to the praise by saying, “Asisat has always been exceptional and for her to win tonight means a lot to her and us as a country,” She told CAFOnline.

“This will motivate her to continue working hard.”

Nkwocha and Akide, who are considered pioneers in the growth of Women’s Football in Nigeria and on the continent, said that this will further promote the growth of the game back home and across the continent.

Akide won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria in 1998, 2000, and 2002 while Nkwocha won the continent’s biggest tournament with Akide in 2002 before inspiring the Super Falcons upfront as well in 2004, 2006, 2010, and 2014.

Oshoala won the gong alongside Nigerian star, Victor Osimhen who won the men’s award breaking Nigeria’s 24-year jinx to reclaim the prize.