NWSL stars Chawinga, Banda nominated for CAF women's Player of the Year

Temwa Chawinga of Malawi and Zambia's Racheal Kundananji and Barbra Banda feature among the nominees for CAF's African Woman Player of the Year award currently held by Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala, another NWSL performer.

The trio are among 10 women listed for the award, with the winner to be announced at the CAF Awards ceremony in Marrakech, Morocco, on Dec. 16.

Oshoala, who has won the title a record six times, is not among the nominees for the first time in a decade.

Also listed are Nigeria forward Rasheedat Ajibade and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, continuing the country's long-standing record of having a player among the nominees since the inaugural award in 1999, which was won by Mercy Akide.

Chawinga's older sister, Tabitha, is the other Malawian on the list, which features two players from each of four countries. Zambia has Banda and Kundananji, while South Africa has Jermaine Seoposenwe and former winner Thembi Kgatlana.

Burundi 's Sandrine Niyonkuru, who plays for FC Masar, and Morocco's Sanaa Mssoudy round out the list, which will be pruned to a three-person shortlist ahead of the ceremony.

With the Women's Africa Cup of Nations not played this year, club form will be a deciding factor in who wins the award, and that puts the NWSL stars in prime position to claim the honours.

Kansas City Current's Chawinga is among the favourites for the title. The Malawian set scoring records in her first season in the NWSL. Her 20 goals in the regular season, which saw her win the Golden Boot, topped Sam Kerr's 18-goal tally from 2019.

She also set a league record of scoring in eight straight games, and became the first player to score against all opponents in a single NWSL season of 10 or more teams.

Banda, meanwhile, set a record of her own, as her 13 goals for Orlando Pride tied the single-season record held by the legendary Marta from the 2019 season.

She could also finish the season as a league champion ahead of the awards, as the Pride face the Washington Spirit in the Championship game on Nov. 23. Banda also scored a hat trick at the Olympic Games in Paris -- her third -- to boast the most hat tricks in the women's football tournament.

Nnadozie also has a shout for the top three. The 23-year-old has been outstanding for club and country, saving a Europe-high seven penalty kicks on her way to becoming the first African to win the French Première Ligue Goalkeeper of the Year. Nnadozie is also nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Year award.

Tabitha Chawinga, who plays for French side Lyon, top-scored in the French league last season with 18 goals alongside 11 assists albeit she has cooled off somewhat this season.

Other awards to be handed out during the ceremony include Women's Coach of the Year, Young Player of the Year, National Team of the Year, and Interclub Team of the Year.

CAF's African Woman Player of the Year: Nominees

• Sandrine Niyonkuru (Burundi / FC Masar)

• Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi / Lyon)

• Temwa Chawinga (Malawi / Kansas City Current)

• Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco / AS FAR)

• Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Paris FC)

• Rasheedat Ajibade (Nigeria / Atletico Madrid)

• Jermaine Seoposenwe (South Africa / Monterrey)

• Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa / Tigres UANL)

• Barbra Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)

• Racheal Kundananji (Zambia / Bay FC)