Today, Tuesday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the date of the 2023 Best in Africa awards ceremony, which is scheduled to be held in Morocco for the second year in a row.
The African Union said in an official statement published on its website:
The prestigious CAF Awards will return to Morocco on December 11, 2023 to celebrate the stars of African football.
Following last year’s successful event hosted in the Moroccan capital Rabat, which saw inspiring Senegalese striker Sadio Mane and Nigerian and Barcelona striker Asisat Oshoala take home trophies, the CAF Awards will feature some of Africa’s best stars.
CAF will inform the host city and time in due course.
Awards will be presented to outstanding performers with club and country over the past year, with CAF crowning the best African player in the men’s and women’s categories.
Mane and Oshoala will face stiff competition from some of the continent’s brightest stars who have shone in the past 12 months.
Previous winners of the African Footballer of the Year award
Previous winners in the men’s category are Ivorian Yaya Tourer (2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014), Samuel Eto’o (2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010), Didier Drogba (2006 and 2009), Mohamed Salah (2017, 2018), Riyad Mahrez (2016), Nwankwo Kanu (1996 and 1999), Abedi Pele (1992) and previous winners George West.
In the women’s category, while Oshoala has dominated the category in recent years with wins in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022 – it still faces competition from previous winners including Thembi Kagatlana (2018) who are still active. This class counts among the previous Super Eagle Perpetua Nkocha winners (2004, 2005, 2010 and 2011).
African Union Awards for the Best in 2023
Many other accolades will also be at stake, including Club Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, National Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Club of the Year and Goal of the Year.
The Club Player of the Year award, which was introduced last year following the successful launch of the CAF Women’s Champions League, will continue this year.
The period under review for the CAF Awards 2023 runs from September 2022 to June 2023 and comprises an extraordinary chapter in the history of African football.
