Less than a month after Barbra Banda was named the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year, the Zambian forward has yet again bagged another award as the African Women’s Football Player of the Year.
Barbra has had a great run in 2024, engraving her name in the history books. In her debut year with Orlando Pride, she led the team to its first championship alongside her role model, Marta Vieira da Silva. After her stellar performance, she was named the Finals MVP, where she netted the victory goal in the thirty-seventh minute against Washington Spirit. During the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season, she was named the Player of the Month in May. Her goal-scoring record of 13 was the second-best in the season across all teams, second to Temwa Chawinga’s 23 goals.
Other Award Winners
Women’s Coach of the Year: Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe). She guided the team to its third consecutive domestic league title in an unbeaten run. The team won their first-ever CAF Women’s Championship League title at the continental level. Her exceptional leadership led TP Mazembe, the Democratic Republic of Congo-based team, to win the award – Women’s Club of the Year.
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria and Paris FC). She was one to watch during the Paris Olympics despite the Super Falcons having a tough time at the games. At the club level, she was named to the team of the season after her stellar performance, which she displayed throughout the season.
Other Award Winners
Sanaâ Mssoudy (Morocco and AS Far) – Women’s Interclub Player of the Year
Doha El Madani (Morocco and AS Far) – Women’s Young Player of the Year
Nigeria (Super Falcons) – Women’s National Team of the Year
About the CAF Awards
The CAF Awards are held annually to celebrate the continent’s top-performing athletes in the football scene. The ceremony goes beyond just a celebration of sports; it incorporates the art industry to celebrate the togetherness of Africans. At the ceremony, graced by top football players, officials and dignitaries of the sport, performances by artists and traditional African dances are displayed. This year, Diamond Platnumz from Tanzania performed his famous “Amapiano” and “Shu,” among other songs, entertaining the guests with his group of energetic dancers.
