The CAF awards are back after a two-year hiatus, with the CAF Women's Player of the Year award and the CAF Men's Player of the Year award taking centre stage.
CAF has been handing out the Women's Footballer of the Year award since 2001. Pulse Sports Nigeria lists all women who have won the award.
Mercy Akide (Nigeria - 2001)
Nigeria's Super Falcons are Africa's most successful women's team, so it is not surprising that former star Mercy Akide is the first recipient of the CAF Women's Footballer of the Year award.
A 1999 and 2004 FIFA World All-Star, Akide was named the best Women's African player of 2001 after helping Nigerian win the 2000 Women Africa Cup of Nations. She also made her mark at the 1999 Women's World Cup. Akide remains one of the most popular females to play the beautiful game.
Alberta Sackey (Ghana - 2002)
Sackey is Ghana's first recipient of the award after picking up the prize in 2002. A member of Ghana's 1999 and 2003 World Cup teams, Sackey beat Nigeria's Akide, Stella Mbachu and Perpetua Nwkocha to the award after helping Ghana finish as runners-up at the 2002 WAFCON.
Although Nigeria ended up as champions, Sackey was one of the players of the tournament. She scored four (4) goals, including the winner against Nigeria in the group stages. Sackey also scored Ghana's two goals at the 2003 Women's World Cup.
Adjoa Bayor (Ghana - 2003)
For the second consecutive year, the CAF's Women's player of the year went to a Ghanaian.
Adjoa Bayor was the recipient of the CAF Women's Player of the Year Award in 2003 after her exploits. She was part of the team that secured Africa's only win at the 2003 Women's World Cup.
Noko Matlou (South Africa - 2008)
Noko Matlou became South Africa's first winner of the CAF Women's Footballer of the Year Award, winning the prestigious prize in 2008.
She won the award after scoring six goals at WAFCON 2008, including a hat-trick in the semi-final against Cameroon.
Genoveva Anonman (Equatorial Guinea - 2012)
Genoveva Anonman is one of Africa's greatest female players due to her achievements with Equatorial Guinea. She was part of the Equatorial Guinean team that won the WAFCON in 2008 and 2012.
For her performance in the 2012 edition, Anonman won the CAF Women's Player of the Year award. She finished as the competition's top scorer with six goals, including a hat-trick against DR Congo.
Gaelle Enganamouit (Cameroon - 2015)
Gaelle Enganamouit is the 2015 recipient of the CAF Women's Footballer of the Year award. Egnanamouit picked up the award for her performance at the 2015 Women's World Cup.
She was part of the Cameroonian team that reached the second round of the World Cup on their debut. Eganamouit played a massive role in the Lionesses' success, scoring a hat-trick in the 6-0 win over Ecuador.
Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa - 2018)
Thembi Kgatlana is the most recent non-Nigerian winner of the CAF Women's Footballer of the Year award after winning it for South Africa in 2018.
Kgatlana won the award following her heroics at the 2018 WAFCON. The 26-year-old was unplayable in the tournament, finishing as the competition's top scorer with five goals, including the winner against Nigeria in the group stage.
Although the Super Falcons gained their revenge in the final via penalties, Kgatlana was named the best player of the tournament.
Cynthia Uwak (Nigeria - 2006, 2007)
Cynthia Uwak is the second Nigerian to win the African Women's Footballer of the Year Award back-to-back, winning it in 2006 and 2007. Uwak is one of Nigeria's best female players, representing Nigeria at the 2007 World Cup and 2008 Summer Olympics.
She scored Nigeria's only goal at the 2007 World Cup and was the second-highest goal scorer at the 2006 WAFCON, with six goals.
Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria - 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011)
Perpetua Nkwocha is the first player to win the coveted CAF Player of the Year Award four times. She won the first of her four titles in 2004 before retaining it in 2005. After a long wait, Nkwocha claimed another back-to-back award in 2010 and 2011.
Nkwocha is one of the greatest female players to play the game. At her peak, she had no equal. She represented Nigeria at seven WAFCONS, winning five. Nkwocha is also a veteran of four FIFA Women's World Cups.
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria - 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022)
When Nkwocha won the last of her four awards in 2011, not many thought her record would be matched. However, just eight years later, Asisat Oshoala equalled Nkwocha's feat.
Oshoala burst onto the scene at the 2014 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup, where she won the Golden Ball. Later that year, she represented Nigeria at the WAFCON.
Her performance in these two competitions earned her the 2014 CAF Women's Footballer of the Year Award. She then won the award again in 2016, 2017 and 2019 for her performance for both country and club.
In July 2022, Oshoala became the first African footballer (both male and female) to win the African Player of the Year Award five (5) times.
Despite suffering an injury-laden 2021/22 season that kept her out of most of the club season and the 2022 WAFCON, the FC Barcelona Femeni forward was still heads over shoulders better than her peers.
Oshoala was the highest goal scorer in the Spanish Primera Iberdrola 2021/22 season despite missing more than two months due to injury. She also played for Barcelona in the UEFA Women's Champions League final.
The Super Falcons star has already cemented her place as the Greatest African Player Of All-Time in African Women's football.
Full List of the African Women's Footballer of the Year Award Winners
Mercy Akide (Nigeria) - 2001
Alberta Sackey (Ghana) - 2002
Adjoa Bayor (Ghana) - 2003
Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria) - 2004
Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria) - 2005
Cynthia Uwak (Nigeria) - 2006
Cynthia Uwak (Nigeria) - 2007
Noko Matlou (South Africa) - 2008
Nil* - 2009
Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria) - 2010
Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria) - 2011
Genoveva Añonma (Equatorial Guinea) - 2012
Nil* - 2013
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria) - 2014
Gaëlle Enganamouit (Cameroon) - 2015
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria) - 2016
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria) - 2017
Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa) - 2018
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria) - 2019
Nil* - 2020
Nil* - 2021
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria) - 2022
(Nil*) - Not Awarded