Super Falcons: Rasheedat Ajibade, Esther Okoronkwo go head-to-head as CAF Awards shortlist is revealed

Nigeria’s dominance in African women’s football was underlined once again as Rasheedat Ajibade and Esther Okoronkwo both earned nominations for the 2025 CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award. It is no surprise that the Super Falcons feature prominently in this year’s roll of honour, their triumph at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations reaffirmed the team’s long-standing pedigree on the continent.

The nominations, announced by CAF on Friday, see two of Nigeria’s brightest stars standing shoulder to shoulder with the continent’s finest. From the Zambian pair of Barbara Banda and Racheal Kundananji, to Malawi’s prolific sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, and Morocco’s duo Sanaa Mssoudy and Ghizlane Chebbak, the list is as competitive as it is reflective of how far the women’s game has grown across Africa. Portia Boakye of Ghana and Mame Diop of Senegal complete the top ten.

𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 (𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻) – 𝗡𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘀#CAFAwards2025 pic.twitter.com/dGgvCAmceg

— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) October 17, 2025

But for Nigeria, the big story lies in having two of their own leading the chase for Africa’s most prestigious individual prize, a sign not just of quality, but of continuity. The Falcons’ spine, forged in belief and experience, continues to define African football’s conversation around excellence and identity.

Ajibade vs Okoronkwo: Which Super Falcons star deserves the gold?

Ajibade, Nigeria’s captain and creative heartbeat, remains the clear favourite. Her drive, discipline, and capacity to carry the team through tense moments at WAFCON were immense. She was named Player of the Tournament and won Woman of the Match in three of Nigeria’s six games, the kind of consistency that sways voters. She’s grown into a true leader, not just through words but through relentless performance.

Yet, to focus solely on Ajibade’s numbers would be to overlook what Esther Okoronkwo brought to that team. Her introduction to the side transformed Nigeria’s attacking shape. Two goals and four assists tell part of the story; her movement, link-up play, and sheer unpredictability told the rest. Without her inventiveness, Nigeria’s ‘Mission X' that symbolic chase for a tenth continental crown might well have fallen flat before it began.

Okoronkwo has carried that energy into her club form too, showing sharpness and maturity beyond her years. If Ajibade embodies structure and authority, Okoronkwo brings flair and daring, the kind that unsettles defenders and makes football worth watching. It’s a fascinating contrast: maverick brilliance versus tireless consistency.

Across club and country in the 2024/25 season, Okoronkwo has been involved in 28 goals from 24 appearances, ten strikes and eighteen assists. By contrast, Ajibade, combining duties for Atlético Madrid and the Super Falcons, featured 32 times, scoring ten goals and supplying five assists. Her contribution is still immense, particularly given her wider responsibilities as captain, leading from the front, setting the tempo, and enforcing standards within a team that demands excellence at all times.

The numbers underline the central argument: Ajibade’s consistency and leadership keep the Super Falcons steady, but Okoronkwo’s creativity and efficiency give them their spark. One commands, the other compels and in a year where both have carried the flag with distinction, the debate over who deserves Africa’s crown could not be more finely balanced.

The edge definitely goes to Okoronkwo, not because Ajibade hasn’t earned her plaudits, but because it was the former’s imagination that turned Nigeria’s campaign from organised efficiency into something more compelling.