Snub for Banyana players in final list of Caf Awards nominations

Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) finalists Banyana Banyana will be bitterly disappointed not to have a player among the three finalists for Player of the Year in the final list of nominees for the Caf Awards released on Wednesday.

The awards gala takes place in Rabat, Morocco, on Thursday night (9pm SA time), three days before the Women’s Nations Cup final in the same city on Saturday night where Banyana meet the hosts.

Former Liverpool teammates Sadio Mané of Senegal, who has since joined Bayern Munich, and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah have unsurprisingly made the final nominees for the Confederation of African Football’s (Caf) Player of the Year prize. Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy of African champions Senegal and Chelsea is the third nominee.

Banyana will be extremely disappointed that none of their six finalists — the most from any country — from the original list of 30 nominees made the final three. The three finalists are Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon and Inter Milan), Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and Barcelona) and Grace Chanda (Zambia and BIIK Kazygurt).

It was not made clear by Caf if performance at the 2022 Wafcon was included in the criteria for the women's top player award. 

With SA’s men’s representation minimal in the original list of nominees for this year’s awards — former Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane was named but has not made the final three for Coach of the Year — SA football is hoping for redemption among the women’s prizes.

SA still have a strong chance in the new Women's Interclub Player of the Year award. Two SA nominees from inaugural Caf Women’s Champions League winners Mamelodi Sundowns — Banyana goalkeeper Andile Dlamini and Bambanani Mbane — are finalists in the prize with Ghanaian Evelyn Badu of Sekondi Hasaacas.

Banyana boss Desiree Ellis and Sundowns’ Jerry Tshabalala are also strong contenders for a third straight Women's Coach of the Year award against Bruce Mwape of Zambia and Reynald Pedros of Morocco.

Sundowns are favourites to win Women’s Club of the Year. The Women's National Team of the Year prize will be awarded after Saturday’s Wafcon final, Caf said.

Malawi and Orlando Pirates striker Gabadinho Mhango is a finalist for Goal of the Year.

Full list of Caf Awards top three nominees (alphabetical order)

Player of the Year (Women):

* Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon & Inter Milan)

* Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)

* Grace Chanda (Zambia & BIIK Kazygurt)

Player of the Year (Men)

* Edouard Mendy (Senegal & Chelsea)

* Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)

* Sadio Mane (Senegal & Bayern Munich)

Interclub Player of the Year (Women)

* Andile Dlamini (SA & Mamelodi Sundowns)

* Bambanani Mbanie (SA & Mamelodi Sundowns)

* Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)

Interclub Player of the Year (Men)

* Achraf Dari (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)

* Aliou Dieng (Mali & Al Ahly)

* Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt & Al Ahly)

Young Player of the Year (Women)

* Doris Boaduwaa (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies)

* Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)

* Yasmine Zouhir (Morocco & AS Saint-Etienne)

Young Player of the Year (Men)

* Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia & Manchester United)

* Karim Konate (Ivory Coast & ASEC/RB Salzburg)

* Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal & Tottenham Hotspur)

Coach of the Year (Women)

* Bruce Mwape (Zambia)

* Desiree Ellis (SA)

* Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns)

* Reynald Pedros (Morocco)

Coach of the Year (Men)

* Aliou Cisse (Senegal)

* Carlos Queiroz (Egypt)

* Walid Regragui (Wydad Athletic Club)

Club of the Year (Women)

* AS FAR (Morocco)

* Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana)

* Mamelodi Sundowns (SA)

Club of the Year (Men)

* Al Ahly (Egypt)

* RS Berkane (Morocco)

* Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)

National Team of the Year (Men)

* Cameroon

* Egypt

* Senegal

National Team of the Year (Women)

* TBC

Goal of the Year

* Gabadinho Mhango (Malawi & Orlando Pirates)

* Pape Ousmane Sakho (Senegal & Simba)

* Zouhair El Moutaraji (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)

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