The 2022 Confederations African Football awards were held on Thursday night in Rabat, Morocco, where football players, coaches, clubs, and national teams were honoured for their excellence in CAF competitions for the year 2022.
Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis scooped the Women’s Coach of the Year award for a third time in row. The 59-year-old South African national senior women’s team mentor has previously won the prestigious award back in 2018. The former Banyana player took the hotseat in the national team in 2016 replacing Vera Pauw as an interim coach before South African Football Association (SAFA) gave her the fulltime job. It came as a no surprise when Eliis won the award as she took her side into the final of the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations that is currently under way in Morocco, as well as qualifying for the 2023 women’s World Cup.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala won a fifth African women’s Player of the Year award. The Barcelona women’s striker took home the continental honours ahead of tough competition, as she competed with the likes of Zambian national Grace Chanda, who plays for BIIK Kazygurt, and Inter Milan forward Ajara Nchout Njoya from Cameroon.
Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane has won the African Player of the Year award for the second time. The 30-year-old helped Liverpool win the FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and played a huge role in the run to the Champions League final, as well as taking the Premier League race down to the wire, before leaving for the Bundesliga champions this summer. He scored the penalty which secured victory in the African Cup of Nations final and helped Senegal beat Egypt in a play-off to book a place at this year’s World Cup. Mane beat former Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah and Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to the award.
Senegal’s national senior coach, Aliou Cisse, earned Coach of the Year (MEN) Award on the night. The 46-year-old former Senegalese captain led his side to win their first Africa Cup of Nations that was held in Cameroon earlier this year, beating Egypt on penalties. He also helped the Lions of Teranga to qualify for 2022 World Cup taking place in Qatar later this year as they defeated Egypt in the play-offs round.
Notable 2022 CAF awards:
– Evelyn Badu (Avaldsnes IL, Ghana) named the Young Player of the Year (Women)
– Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur, Senegal) named the Young Player of the Year (MEN)
– Senegal crowned 2022 National Team of the Year (MEN)
– Pape Ousmane Sakho’s (Simba SC, Senegal) won Goal of the Year Award
– Evelyn Badu (Avaldsnes IL, Ghana) named Interclub Player of the Year (WOMEN)
– Mohamed El Shennawy (Al Ahly, Egypt) named Interclub Player of the Year (MEN)
– Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) named Women’s Club of the Year
– Wydad AC (Morocco) won Club of the Year Award