Desiree Ellis will play in a CAF Legends match before their AWCON final. Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix
Cape Town - Ahead of the 2022 CAF Awards, a star-studded CAF Women’s Legends team will take on a Morocco Women’s Legends team on Thursday at Rabat’s Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Stadium.
The former Banyana Banyana captain Desiree Ellis will coach South Africa in the 2022 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final against hosts Morocco on Saturday, but first, she will feature for the CAF Legends in this special exhibition match kicking off at noon.
Other CAF Legends who will feature in the match include former Cameroon captain Christine Manie, South Africa’s Amanda Dlamini, Tunisia’s Haifa Guedri and former Super Falcons goalkeeper Rachael Ayegba, who have been on CAF TV commentary duty at WAFCON 2022.
CAF Technical Study Group members, Cote d’Ivoire’s Clementine Toure, Ghana’s Mercy Tagoe, South Africa’s Shilene Booysen, Namibia’s Jacqui Shipanga and Tunisia’s Amani Boukari will also feature for the CAF Legends, as will Super Eagles legend Anne Chiejine.
Other African legends invited to be part of the CAF Legends team include the great Super Falcons captain Mercy Akide, the first player to win the Africa Women’s Player of the Year Award in 2001, her former teammate and four-time Africa Women’s Player of the Year Perpetua Nkwocha, Ghana’s Alberta Sackey, as well as Equatorial Guinea’s Genoveva Anonman Nze, the 2012 Africa Women’s Player of the Year.
The Moroccan team will be headed by fantastic former footballer Khadija Illa, who is now the President of Morocco’s National Women’s Football League.
Other Moroccan legends who will play for the hosts include Lamia Boumehdi, a former Moroccan footballer who played for the Berrechid women’s club and who previously coached the Wydad Athletic women’s team and Morocco’s Under-17 national team.
Another popular former Morocco international who will play for the Morocco Legends is Nadia Maqdi Tigana.
Meanwhile, CAF have revealed the top three candidates for all the categories ahead of the much-awaited Awards Gala on Thursday night in Rabat, Morocco.
The full list of top 3 nominees (in alphabetical order) are:
Player of the Year (Women):
Ajara Nchout Njoya (Cameroon & Internazionale Milano)
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria & Barcelona)
Grace Chanda (Zambia & BIIK Kazygurt)
Player of the Year (Men):
Edouard Mendy (Senegal & Chelsea)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool
Sadio Mane (Senegal & Bayern Munich)
Inter-club Player of the Year (Women):
Andile Dlamini (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Bambanani Mbanie (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)
Interclub Player of the Year (Men):
Achraf Dari (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
Aliou Dieng (Mali & Al Ahly)
Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt & Al Ahly)
Young Player of the Year (Women):
Doris Boaduwaa (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies)
Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)
Yasmine Zouhir (Morocco & AS Saint-Etienne)
Young Player of the Year (Men):
Hannibal Mejbri (Tunisia & Manchester United)
Karim Konate (Cote d’Ivoire & ASEC/RB Salzburg)
Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal & Tottenham Hotspur)
Coach of the Year (Women);
Bruce Mwape (Zambia)
Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Reynald Pedros (Morocco)
Coach of the Year (Men)
Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
Carlos Queiroz (Egypt)
Walid Regragui (Wydad Athletic Club)
Club of the Year (Women):
AS FAR (Morocco)
Hasaacas Ladies (Ghana)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Club of the Year (Men):
Al Ahly (Egypt)
RS Berkane (Morocco)
Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)
National Team of the Year (Men):
Cameroon
Egypt
Senegal
National Team of the Year (Women):
The winner will be announced on Saturday
Goal of the Year:
Gabadinho Mhango (Malawi & Orlando Pirates)
Pape Ousmane Sakho (Senegal & Simba)
Zouhair El Moutaraji (Morocco & Wydad Athletic Club)
IOL Sport