African women’s football has experienced a remarkable transformation over the past two decades, moving from a sport fighting for recognition into one of the continent’s fastest-growing sporting movements. At the centre of this evolution are the women who have dominated the CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award, a prestigious honour celebrating Africa’s finest female footballers.
Since the award was introduced in 2001, only a select group of players have had the privilege of being crowned Africa’s best. From Nigeria’s early dominance through the rise of South Africa, Cameroon, Zambia and Morocco, the winners tell the story of how women’s football has expanded across the continent.
The history of the award is not just about individual excellence. It is a reflection of Africa’s changing football landscape.
Mercy Akide Started a Nigerian Legacy
The first-ever CAF Women’s Player of the Year award in 2001 went to Nigerian legend Mercy Akide, a pioneer who helped put African women’s football on the international map.
Known for her pace, technical ability and goal-scoring instincts, Akide became one of Nigeria’s most respected footballers during a period when women’s football had limited professional structures.
Her victory marked the beginning of Nigeria’s dominance in the award and highlighted the country’s early investment in women’s football.
Nigeria’s national team, the Super Falcons, were already establishing themselves as Africa’s strongest women’s football side, winning multiple continental titles and representing the continent at global tournaments.
Nigeria’s Golden Generation Takes Control
Following Akide’s historic win, Nigerian players dominated the award for much of the 2000s.
Ghana’s Alberta Sackey and Adjoa Bayor interrupted Nigeria’s dominance by winning in 2002 and 2003, proving that other African nations were producing world-class female talents.
But from 2004 to 2007, Nigeria returned to the top.
Perpetua Nkwocha became one of the most influential names in African women’s football history, winning the award four times in total, including back-to-back victories in 2004 and 2005, before adding another two titles in 2010 and 2011.
Nkwocha was a complete forward, combining technical brilliance with leadership. She was instrumental in Nigeria’s dominance at the African Women’s Cup of Nations and became a symbol of excellence for young African footballers.
Her achievements established her as one of the greatest women’s footballers Africa has ever produced.
The Rise of New African Powers
The award’s history also reflects the growth of women’s football beyond Nigeria.
South Africa’s Noko Matlou won the award in 2008, becoming one of the country’s first global female football stars.
Matlou’s success represented a turning point for South African women’s football, which would later produce more international stars and benefit from stronger domestic development programmes.
In 2012, Equatorial Guinea’s Genoveva Añonma claimed the award after helping demonstrate that smaller football nations could compete at the highest level.
Her victory was significant because it showed that African women’s football was becoming more competitive and geographically diverse.
Asisat Oshoala: Africa’s Modern Icon
No player has dominated the CAF Women’s Player of the Year award like Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala.
The Nigerian forward has won the award a record number of times, collecting the honour in:
- 2014
- 2016
- 2017
- 2019
- 2022
- 2023
Her six victories represent an era of dominance unmatched in African women’s football.
Oshoala’s career has taken her from Nigeria to some of the biggest clubs in world football, including Liverpool, Arsenal, FC Barcelona and later Bay FC in the United States.
At Barcelona, she became the first African woman to score in a UEFA Women’s Champions League final, when she helped the club win the competition in 2021.
Beyond her trophies, Oshoala has become a global ambassador for African women’s football. Her success has inspired thousands of young girls across the continent to see football as a realistic career path.
Cameroon and Gaëlle Enganamouit’s Historic Moment
In 2015, Cameroonian forward Gaëlle Enganamouit became the first player from Cameroon to win the CAF Women’s Player of the Year award.
Her victory came during a period when Cameroon was emerging as one of Africa’s strongest women’s football nations.
Enganamouit was recognised after an impressive year that included success at club level in Europe and strong performances for the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon.
Her achievement remains an important moment in Cameroon’s sporting history and continues to inspire female footballers in the country.
South Africa and Zambia Enter the Spotlight
The late 2010s and early 2020s saw more countries join the conversation.
South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana won the award in 2018 after becoming one of Africa’s most exciting attacking players.
Her performances at the 2018 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and international competitions helped raise the profile of South African women’s football.
In 2024, Zambia’s Barbra Banda claimed the award, representing another important shift in African football.
Banda had already become one of the continent’s most recognised stars after outstanding performances for Zambia at international level and in professional leagues abroad.
Her success reflected Zambia’s rapid rise as a force in women’s football.
Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak Marks a New Era
The most recent winner, Ghizlane Chebbak, claimed the award in 2025, becoming the first Moroccan player to receive the honour.
Her victory represents one of the biggest stories in recent African women’s football.
Morocco has invested heavily in women’s football development, including professional leagues and improved national team structures. The country’s women’s national team reached the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final and qualified for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, marking a historic achievement.
Chebbak’s award shows that the centre of African women’s football is expanding beyond traditional powers.
The Winners Tell Africa’s Football Story
Looking at the list of CAF Women’s Player of the Year winners reveals more than individual achievements.
It tells the story of a continent where women’s football has grown from limited opportunities into a global force.
Nigeria remains the most successful nation in the award’s history, producing legends such as Mercy Akide, Perpetua Nkwocha and Asisat Oshoala.
However, the emergence of stars from Ghana, Cameroon, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Zambia and Morocco proves that the future of African women’s football is becoming more competitive.
The award was not presented in 2009, 2013, 2020 and 2021, but every other year has produced another chapter in the story of African excellence.
The Future Belongs to More African Women
The next generation of African female footballers is entering a different environment from the pioneers who came before them.
Improved professional leagues, international opportunities, better sponsorship and increased global attention are creating pathways that did not exist two decades ago.
From Mercy Akide’s historic achievement in 2001 to Ghizlane Chebbak’s triumph in 2025, the CAF Women’s Player of the Year award has become a record of courage, talent and progress.
These women did more than win trophies.
They changed how Africa sees women’s football.
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