Oshoala claims record fifth CAF best award

Super Falcons striker Asisat Oshoala has been named the best women’s player on the continent, winning a record-breaking fifth award.

The Barcelona forward has become the first player in history – surpassing compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha – to win the CAF African Women’s Player of the Year award a record five times.

Oshoala faced stiff opposition from Cameroonian Ajara Nchout Njoya and new entrant Grace Chanda of Zambia and was crowned alongside Senegal star Sadio Mane, the 2022 Africa Player of the Year, at the CAF football awards held in Rabat, Morocco yesterday evening.

In her acceptance speech, the Falcons star hailed her teammates, adding that the team’s resilience against the host Morocco on Monday was commendable despite playing with two girls down.

The 2021-22 campaign was arguably Oshoala’s best season yet as she played a key role in her Spanish side’s treble charge – the Spanish Women’s Super Cup, Copa de la Reina, and the Primera Division.

Although she missed a couple of matches due to injury, that did not stop her from emerging as the league’s joint-top scorer after netting 20 goals in 19 league appearances to share the award with Geyse Ferreira, who managed the same number of goals in 27 appearances for Madrid CFF. She would claim the prestigious Pichichi award because she played fewer games than the Brazilian.

Impressively, she scored a hat-trick against Real Betis and a double versus Real Sociedad, Valencia, Villarreal, and Real Betis.

In the Copa de la Reina, she scored in her only appearance in the tournament against Real Madrid – where she played for just 78 minutes.

Her side could have won a quadruple, but Barcelona lost 3-1 to Olympique Lyon at the Juventus Stadium in Turin in the UEFA Women’s Champions League final.