Nigeria/Senegal: Oshoala Wins Fifth African Footballer Award As Mane Leads Senegal to Dominate Awards

Super Falcons' Vice-captain and FC Barcelona talisman, Asisat Oshoala, was last night crowed 2022 African Women's Player of the Year.

The 27-year-old picked the award ahead of Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon and Inter Milan) and Zambia international Grace Chanda (Zambia and BIIK Kazygurt).

With this, she becomes the first African to win this prestigious for a record five times, overtaking Perpetua Nkwocha who claimed the accolade on four occasions.

"It's a record-breaking night for me and I want to thank everyone that has been in one way or the other involved in my career.

"My teammates at FC Barcelona and more importantly, the Super Falcons who had showed the whole world that they are still the best on the continent going by the performance they put up against the host, Morocco in the semi-final of WAFCON," she said after she received the award.

The 2021-22 campaign was arguably Oshoala's best 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 league joint-top scorer after netting 20 goals in 19 league appearances to share the award with Brazilian Geyse Ferreira, who managed the same number of goals in 27 appearances for Madrid CFF.

Oshoala is the fourth Nigerian to land the women's version of the award, following in the footsteps of Mercy Akide (2001), Nkwocha (2004, 2005, 2010 & 2011) and Cynthia Uwak (2006 & 2007).

In the male section and expectedly, Sadio Mane was named African Footballer of Year after a season in which he kicked the winning penalty for Senegal as they claimed their first Africa Cup of Nations title and repeated the feat when they secured World Cup qualification.

Mane finished ahead of Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah, his former Liverpool team mate, and fellow Senegalese Edouard Mendy in the voting.

It was the second time the 30-year-old Mane, who last month joined German champions Bayern Munich, has won the award.

He was the last winner of the award in 2019. The Confederation of African Football did not hold it over of the last two years and has now changed to recognising accomplishments over the season rather than the calendar year.

Mane converted the winning penalty in February as Senegal beat Egypt in the Cup of Nations final in Yaounde, proving the talisman as his country took a first ever African title.

Six weeks later, he struck the decisive spot-kick as Senegal again edged Egypt in a penalty shootout to win a place at the World Cup finals in Qatar.

He overshadowed Salah on both occasions, although the pair shared success with Liverpool in the FA Cup and League Cup and helped them reach the Champions League final.

AFRICAN AWARDS WINNERS

MEN

Player of the Year

Sadio Mane (SEN)

Club Player of the Year

Mohamed el Shenawy (Al Ahly/EGY)

Young Player of the Year

Pape Matar Sarr (SEN)

Coach of the Year

Aliou Cisse (SEN)

National team of the Year

Senegal

Club of the Year

Wydad Casablanca (MAR)

Goal of the Year

Pape Ousmane Sakho (SEN, Simba/TAN)