A total of six Banyana Banyana players have been named on the preliminary list for the 2022 CAF Women’s Player of the Year award.
This is the highest number of nominees by a country.
All the six players are currently in Morocco with Banyana Banyana at the TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations that kicked on Saturday, and will run until 23 July.
Andile Dlamini (goalkeeper), Bambanani Mbane (defender), Refile Jane and Linda Motlhalo (both midfielders) as well as Jermaine Seoposenwe and Thembi Kgatlana (both forwards) were part of the winning team that defeated Nigeria 2-1 in their opening Group C match on Monday (4 July) in Rabat.
Seoposenwe scored the first goal in that fixture.
Kgatlana, who has just signed for Racing Louisville in the USA, is the 2018 CAF Women’s Player of Year winner.
The Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies team – 2021 Hollywoodbets Super League winners, COSAFA Club Women’s Championship holders and also reigning African champions – has also been nominated in the CAF Club of the Year (Women) category.
They will battle it with six other clubs including S. Haasaacas of Ghana, whom they defeated in the final of the inaugural CAF Women’s Champions League.
Also in the mix are AS FAR (Morocco), AS Mande (Mali), Malabo Kings (Equatorial Guinea), Wadi Degla (Egypt) and River Angels (Nigeria) – all the teams played in the Champions League.
For their good showing in the final of the inaugural competition, Sundowns Ladies players Dlamini, Mbane, Andisiwe Mgcoyi and captain Zanele Nhlapo have also been included on the list of nominees for the CAF Women’s Interclub Player of the Year award.
Banyana Banyana Players on the Preliminary list of CAF Player of the Year
- Andile Dlamini
- Bambanani Mbane
- Thembi Kgatlana
- Jermaine Seoposenwe
- Refiloe Jane
- Linda Motlhalo
List of nominees for Club of the Year:
- Wadi Degla (Egypt)
- Haasaacas Ladies (Ghana)
- Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
- Association’s Sports of Forces Armed Royal (Morocco)
- Malabo Kings (Equatorial Guinea)
- River Angels (Nigeria)
- AS Mande (Mali)
Sundowns players – nominees for Interclub Player of the Year
- Andile Dlamini
- Bambanani Mbane
- Andisiwe Mgcoyi
- Zanele Nhlapo
The official ceremony will be held on 21 July 2022 in Rabat, Morocco ahead of the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) that is currently taking place in Morocco until 23 July 2022.
By Matlhomola Morake
