NIGERIA’s Super Eagles players Victor Osimhen and Gift Orban have been shortlisted for the 2023 Confederation of Africa Football, CAF award in both player of year and young player of the year award categories respectively.

Oshimen, who was ranked eighth best player in the world at the just concluded Ballon d’Or ceremony held on Monday’s night in Paris, will compete against  29 African players to be crowned the continental best player.

Ex-international Nwankwo Kanu was the last Nigerian to be crowned as the winner in 1999.

Also, Orban who has just two appearances and 3 goals for the country was nominated for an award in the young best player category.

“A panel of CAF Technical Experts, African Football Legends, and selected media representatives from several countries put together the preliminary list for the various categories with the performance of the nominees between November 2022 and September 2023 serving as the period under consideration,” a statement by CAF on Wednesday read in part.

The award holds on December 11, 2023, in Marrakech, Morocco.

The highlight of this edition is the introduction of the CAF African Goalkeeper of the Year  for both men and women categories.

“It will be the first time that shot stoppers will be acknowledged for their performances, further expanding the network of winners for the annual event. 10 players have been nominated for the novel award,” the statement reads.

According to CAF, the prestigious event seeks to reward and celebrate exceptional players, officials and administrators during the period under review.

“Thirty players made the list for the top prize – CAF African Player of the Year – whilst 20 players have been nominated for the CAF Interclub Player of the Year.

“Coach of the Year, CAF National Team of the Year and Club of the Year have ten  nominees each just as CAF Young Player of the Year – for players under the age of 21,” the statement adds.

The ultimate winner of each category, according to CAF will be decided after votes from a voting panel consisting of CAF technical committee, media professionals, head coaches and captains of member associations and clubs involved in the group stages of the Interclub competitions.

The last winners were Senegal forward Sadio Mane and  Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala in both men and women categories in July 2022 in Rabat, Morocco.

For the nominees of the female category, Africa’s football governing body said it would announce in due course.

Full List of nominees (in alphabetic order by member association):

Player of the Year (Men)

Ramy Bensebaini (Algeria and Borussia Dortmund)

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria and Al Ahli)

Edmond Tapsoba (Burkina Faso and Bayer Leverkusen)

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon and SSC Napoli)

Vincent Aboubacar (Cameroon and Besiktas)

Ibrahima Sangare (Cote d’Ivoire and Nottingham Forest)

Seko Fofana (Cote d’Ivoire and Al Nassr)

Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo and Olympique Marseille)

Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Pyramids)

Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt and Ahly)

Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)

Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)

Mohamed Salah (Egypt and Liverpool)

Mohammed Kudus (Ghana and West Ham United)

Thomas Partey (Ghana and Arsenal)

Serhou Guirassy (Guinea and VfB Stuttgart)

Yves Bissouma (Mali and Tottenham Hotspur)

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain)

Azzedine Ounahi (Morocco and Olympique Marseille)

Hakim Ziyech (Morocco and Galatasaray)

Sofyan Amrabat (Morocco and Manchester United)

Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)

Yassine Bounou (Morocco and Al Hilal)

Youssef En-Nesyri (Morocco and Sevilla)

Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)

Victor Osimhen (Nigeria and SSC Napoli)

Sadio Mane (Senegal and Al Nassr)

Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Tottenham Hotspur)

Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)

Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Ferencvaros)

Goalkeeper of the Year (Men)

Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)

Yassine Bounou (Morocco & Al Hilal)

Andre Onana (Cameroon and Manchester United)

Ronwen Williams (South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns)

Edouard Mendy (Senegal and Al Ahli)

Oussama Benbot (Algeria and USM Alger)

Youssef El Motie (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)

Djigui Diarra (Mali and Young Africans)

Pape Mamadou Sy (Senegal and Generation Foot)

Landing Badji (Senegal and AS Pikine)

Interclub Player of the Year (Men)

Aymen Mahious (Algeria and USM Alger/Yverdon-Sport)

Oussama Benbot (Algeria and USM Alger)

Zineddine Belaid (Algeria and USM Alger)

Fiston Mayele (DR Congo and Young Africans/Pyramids)

Makabi Lilepo (DR Congo and Al Hilal/Valenciennes)

Hussein El Shahat (Egypt and Al Ahly)

Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Egypt and Ahly)

Mohamed Abdelmonem (Egypt and Al Ahly)

Mohamed ElShenawy (Egypt and Al Ahly)

Mostafa Fathi (Egypt and Pyramids)

Djigui Diarra (Mali and Young Africans)

Yahia Attiyat Allah (Morocco and Wydad Club Athletic)

Yahya Jabrane (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)

Youssef El Motie (Morocco and Wydad Athletic Club)

Peter Shalulile (Namibia and Mamelodi Sundowns)

Percy Tau (South Africa and Al Ahly)

Ranga Chivaviro (South Africa and Marumo Gallants/Kaizer Chiefs)

Ronwen Williams (South Africa and Mamelodi Sundowns)

Ali Maaloul (Tunisia and Al Ahly)

Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane (Tunisia and Esperance Sportive de Tunis /Ferencvaros)

Young Player of the Year (Men)

Dango Ouattara (Burkina Faso and Bournemouth)

Souleymane Alio (Burkina Faso and New Stars)

Ernest Nuamah (Ghana & Olympique Lyonnais)

Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Morocco and Betis)

Bilal El Khannous (Morocco and Genk)

Gift Orban (Nigeria and KAA Gent)

Lamine Camara (Senegal and Generation Foot/Metz)

Pape Amadou Diallo (Senegal and Generation Foot/Metz)

Pape Demba Diop (Senegal and Zulte Waregem)

Amara Diouf (Senegal and Generation Foot)

 Coach of the Year (Men)

Abdelhak Benchikha (USM Alger)

Marcel Koller (Al Ahly)

Juan Micha Obiang (Equatorial Guinea)

Tom Saintfiet (The Gambia)

Baciro Cande (Guinea Bissau)

Amir Abdou (Mauritania)

Walid Regragui (Morocco)

Chiquinho Conde (Mozambique)

Aliou Cisse (Senegal)

Pape Thiaw (Senegal – CHAN)

National Team of the Year (Men)

Cape Verde

The Gambia

Guinea Bissau

Equatorial Guinea

Mauritania

Morocco

Mozambique

Namibia

Senegal

Tanzania

Year (Men)

Club of the Year (Men)

CR Belouizdad (Algeria)

USM Alger (Algeria)

ASEC Mimosas (Cote d’Ivoire)

Al Ahly (Egypt)

Raja Club Athletic (Morocco)

Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)

Marumo Gallants (South Africa)

Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia)

Young Africans (Tanzania)