Five South Africans will be off to Morocco after they made the shortlist of the 2023 CAF Women’s Awards.
Andile Dlamini, Thembi Kgatlana, Lebohang Ramalepe, Desiree Ellis and Jerry Tshabalala will be flying the country’s flag high at the annual event which will be held on Monday, 11 December at the Palais des Congrès, Movenpick in Marrakech.
Goalkeeper of the Year (Women)
- Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco, AS FAR)
- Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria, Paris FC)
- Andile Dlamini (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
Mamelodi Sundowns goalminder Dlamini will be battling it out with Khadija Er-Rmichi of AS FAR and Morocco and Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie who plays for Paris FC for the Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Just recently, Dlamini was named the CAF Women’s Champions League Best Goalkeeper for 2023 after leading Sundowns Ladies to the title – she won the same accolade in 2021.
This comes at the back of several awards that she has bagged, including IFFHS CAF Women’s Team of the Year – 2022; Gauteng Sports Personality of the Year – 2022; Gauteng Women in Sports Sportswoman of the Year – 2022; Tshwane Sports Women of the Year – 2022; Momentum Athlete of the Year: 2023 and the Feather Awards Sports Personality of the Year: 2023.
On Wednesday (6 December 2023), Sticks, as she is popularly known to her peers, helped her club to their fourth Hollywoodbets Super League title in a row, making it a treble, adding to the COSAFA Cup and the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League.
Player of the Year (Women)
- Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria, Barcelona)
- Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa, Racing Louisville)
- Barbara Banda (Zambia, Shanghai Shengli)
In the CAF Player of the Year award, current Banyana Banyana captain – in the absence of Refiloe Jane – Thembi Kgatlana of Racing Louisville in the USA, is up against Nigeria and Barcelona forward, and reigning CAF Player of the Year, Asisat Oshoala as well as Zambia’s Barbara Banda who is on the books of Shanghai Shengli in China.
Kgatlana was instrumental in helping the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana progress to the Round of 16 – which was history in the making – at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in August in Australia and New Zealand.
The speedy forward scored against Argentina and Italy.
In 2018, she was named the CAF African Women’s Footballer of the Year and also walked away with the CAF African Goal of the Year in the same year.
Interclub Player of the Year (Women)
- Refilwe Tholakele (Botswana, Mamelodi Sundowns)
- Fatima Tagnaout (Morocco, AS FAR)
- Lebohang Ramalepe (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
Sundowns Ladies’ Lebohang Ramalepe will contest the Interclub Player of the Year award against teammate Refilwe Tholakele of Botswana, along with Fatima Tagnaout of Morocco and AS FAR.
The trio was named in the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League Best XI after some inspiring performances in the tournament held in Cote d’Ivoire last month.
Tholakele and the Limpopo-born Ramalepe joined the Brazilians this season, and played a key role in getting them to a treble – COSAFA CUP, CAF Women’s Champions League and the Hollywoodbets Super League.
Coach of the Year (Women)
- Reynald Pedros (Morocco)
- Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
- Jerry Tshabalala (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)
The battle of the coaches will be among two South Africans – Jerry Tshabalala of Mamelodi Sundowns and Desiree Ellis of Banyana Banyana – and former Morocco Women’s National team mentor, Reynald Pedros.
Tshabalala led his side to a treble in 2023, a feat they also achieved in 2021. He was the mastermind behind the success in the COSAFA Cup, CAF Women’s Champions League and Hollywoodbets Super League, where they dominated on all fronts. He is up against two coaches that led their teams at the World Cup.
Ellis is a three-time winner of the CAF Coach of the Year, and will be eager to add the fourth trophy in a row.
Just recently, she presided over qualification into the 2024 CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, as they look to defend the title they won two years ago.
National Team of the Year (Women)
- Morocco
- Nigeria
- South Africa
Club of the Year (Women)
- AS FAR (Morocco)
- Sporting Casablanca (Morocco)
- Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
In addition, the two South African coaches will be waiting in anticipation as Banyana Banyana and Sundowns Ladies have been nominated in the National Team and Club of the Year respectively.
The South African Senior Women’s National Team will go to toe with Morocco and Nigeria for the award, while Sundowns Ladies will face a strong challenge from the Moroccan duo of AS FAR and SC Casablanca.
The ultimate winner of each category is decided following votes from a panel consisting of CAF Technical Committee, media professionals from Member Associations, Head Coaches & Captains of Member Associations and clubs involved in the group stages of the Interclub competitions.
CAF Award 2023 Nominations – South Africa (Women):
– Andile Dlamini – Goalkeeper of the Year
– Thembi Kgatlana – Player of the Year
– Desiree Ellis – Coach of the Year
– Jerry Tshabalala – Coach of the Year
– Banyana Banyana – National Team of the Year
– Mamelodi Sundowns – Club of the Year
By Matlhomola Morake
