CAF Awards: After Ajibade, another Nigerian gets final shortlisted alongside Hakimi and Salah

After the nomination of Super Falcons Rasheed Ajibade for the CAF Women's Player of the Year Award on Friday, another Nigerian has been shortlisted for the men’s award.

Moroccan Achraf Hakimi, Nigerian Victor Osimhen and Egyptian Mohamed Salah were shortlisted on Sunday for the 2025 African men's player of the year award, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced.

Currently injured, full-back Hakimi helped Paris Saint-Germain win the UEFA Champions League for the first time and finish runners-up to Chelsea in the final of the expanded Club World Cup.

If fit, the 27-year-old will lead hosts Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations from December 21 as they seek to win the competition for the first time since 1976.

Twice winner of the African award, Salah has been struggling lately after an outstanding contribution to Liverpool winning the Premier League a record-equalling 20th time last season.

The 33-year-old won the 2024-25 Premier League Golden Boot award with 29 goals, six more than Alexander Isak, who has since moved from Newcastle United to Liverpool.

Osimhen, from top Turkish outfit Galatasaray, has been outstanding recently for club and country, but some of his achievements will not count as the deadline for the judges was October 15.

That rules out a Champions League hat-trick against Ajax in Amsterdam and two goals in a 2026 World Cup play-off victory over Gabon last Thursday.

The annual African men's and women's awards ceremony will be staged in the Moroccan capital Rabat on Wednesday.

CAF technical and development committee members, coaches, former stars and selected media representatives selected the nominees.

On Friday, Ajibade emerged as the only Nigerian listed among the finalists for the 2025 CAF Women’s Player of the Year award.

The African football governing body announced the top three candidates for the coveted award on Sunday.

In October, Ajibade made the initial 10-player longlist alongside teammate Esther Okoronkwo.

However, Okoronkwo, who was voted the player of the match in the final of the recent Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON), is missing from the final shortlist.

The Moroccan duo of Ghizlane Chebbak and Sanaa Mssoudy completes the finalists.

Ajibade was voted woman of the match in three of the Falcons’ six games en route to winning Nigeria’s 10th WAFCON title. She was also named the best player in the competition.

Chiamaka Nnadozie also made the final shortlist for the Goalkeeper of the Year prize. The 24-year-old won the award for two consecutive years.

Nigeria’s Moshood Shakirat made the final cut for the women’s Best Young Player prize.

The Super Falcons are also nominated for the national team of the year award.

The 2025 CAF Awards gala is scheduled to be held in Rabat, Morocco, on November 19.