Nigeria will have no representative in the race for the 2026 CAF Women’s Player of the Year award after the Confederation of African Football unveiled its shortlist of nominees on Tuesday.

The omission means the country’s female footballers will miss out on the continent’s most prestigious individual women’s football honour, despite the Super Falcons’ dominant status in African women’s football.

CAF’s 2026 shortlist features some of the biggest names in African women’s football, including Malawi’s sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga, Zambia captain Barbra Banda and South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana.

Other nominees represent countries such as Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Morocco, reflecting the growing spread of individual talent across African women’s football.

The absence of a Nigerian player from the category is particularly notable given the Super Falcons’ continued dominance on the continent and their place among the leading national teams in Africa.

Nigeria’s omission also raises questions about the individual recognition of its players at a time when the country remains a major force in women’s football.

While the country has secured nominations in other women’s categories, including the Goalkeeper of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards, the absence of a Super Falcons star from the flagship individual category will be a talking point ahead of the ceremony.

The 2026 CAF Awards ceremony will hold in Lagos, with the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Iganmu scheduled to host the continent’s leading football personalities.

For Nigeria, hosting the awards will provide a platform to celebrate African football, even as the absence of a home-grown contender in the Women’s Player of the Year category raises questions about the country’s representation among the continent’s individual elite.