Super Falcons Assistant Coach, Ann Chiejine, has joined in celebrating the four Nigerian soccer stars who won honours in the CAF Awards 2023 held Monday in Marrakech, Morocco saying that they merited the awards, Completesports.com reports.
Ann, a former Super Falcons goalkeeper, told Completesports.com exclusively that she didn’t expect anything less for Victor Osimhen as 2023 Africa Footballer of the Year, Asisat Oshoala as 2023 Women’s Africa Footballer of the Year, Chiamaka Nnadozie as the Goalkeeper of the Year (Women) and the best national team award for the Super Falcons.
“I am very happy for all the award winners, especially our women’s team and players. They deserve the awards for their respective performance at clubs, continental, and World Cup levels. They were simply the best in their respective categories. I give them the thumbs up and wish them more victories in the future,” Chiejine who twice won the best goalkeeper awards at the WAFCON said during an exclusive chat with Completesports.com.
“I want to urge them not to relent, but to continue to work hard and improve their game so that they can win more laurels for themselves and the country. They should know they are role models for the up-and-coming players and keep on improving, in and outside the football pitch.”
On Asisat Oshoala’s unprecedented sixth Women’s Africa Player of the Year award, Chiejine said the FC Barcelona Fameni player is an epitome of hard work and dedication, adding that winning six times in less than 10 years is not an easy achievement, stressing that it meant that she is a committed and dedicated professional.
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“Oshoala has raised the bar so high and I won’t be surprised if she wins it again next year. She does very well in her club, scoring goals and winning trophies every season and if she does very well in next year’s WAFCON, she may retain the award again.
“Chiamaka has the potential to be the best goalkeeper in the world at the pace she is developing. She is focused and has on several occasions saved us from defeats with her match-winning saves. Her progression is rapid and it won’t be long before she becomes the best in the world,” Chiejine who only last week bagged a CAF certificate as an elite goalkeeper instructor in South Africa concluded.
On Osimhen, she said the SSC Napoli striker can win it back-to-back with a top goal-scorer performance at the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire in January/ February next year, adding that he has done well for himself and can only get better.
By Richard Jideaka, Abuja
