Oshoala, Iwobi, Iheanacho, Falcons Win Glo-CAF Awards 2016

Members of the Nigerian football family on Thursday in Abuja picked up four of the awards at the Glo-CAF Awards 2016 for outstanding football personalities and teams in 2016.

While no Nigerian player made it to the final shortlist of three in the African Player of the Year Award category, Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala made the day for Nigerians.

Oshoala won the 2016 Women’s Player of the Year Award to cap an exciting year when she won the top scorer award at the Women’s AFCON in Cameroon.

The Arsenal Ladies FC player scored six goals in helping Nigeria to the African title, their eighth title from the competition’s past 10 editions.

She beat Elizabeth Addo of Kvarnsvedensik and Black Queens of Ghana, and Gabrielle Onguene of Rossyanka and Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, to the award.

Her team, the Super Falcons, picked the 2016 Women’s National Team of the Year Award, beating Cameroon and South Africa in the process.

Arsenal FC and Super Eagles forward Alex Iwobi also won the 2016 Youth Player of the Year Award, while Kelechi Iheanacho joined in making it a glorious night for Nigeria.

The Manchester City and Super Eagles forward won the 2016 Most Promising Talent of the Year Award.

Both Iwobi and Iheanacho also made it to the substitute’s bench in the Africa Finest XI team, which had 11 starting players and seven substitutes.

The Awards organisers, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), also honoured President Muhammadu Buhari with the CAF 2016 Platinum Award.