The head coach of Ampem Darkoa Ladies, Nana Joe Adarkwa has been nominated for Coach of the Year in the 2023 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards to be held on December 11 in Marrakech, Morocco.

Coach Adarkwa led Ampem Darkoa Ladies to win a domestic double of Malta Guinness Women’s Premier League and the Women’s FA Cup, as well as the 2023 WAFU Zone B Women’s Champions League triumph in Nigeria to secure qualification for the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League currently underway in Cote d’Ivoire. He will compete against nine other coaches from across the continent for the coveted award.

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Other nominees include coach Lovemore Fazili (Malawi), Mehdi El Qaichouri (SC Casablanca), Mohamed Amine Alioua (AS FAR), Reynald Pedros (Morocco), Mame Moussa Cisse (Senegal) and Desiree Ellis (South Africa) and Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns)

The Ghana champions have two players — Comfort Yeboah and Tracy Twum — nominated for the Inter-Club Best Player of the Year, while forward Mary Amponsah is a candidate for the Young Player of the Year award.

The three players contributed immensely to Ampem Darkoa Ladies’ success in the domestic league last season as well as in the 2023 CAF Women’s Champions League which is currently in Cote d’Ivoire.

While Yeboah scored a brace in their opening Group B match against Moroccan side AS FAR Club, Twum also netted twice in their record 3-1 victory over Equatorial Guinea side Huracanes FC in the final group game last Sunday to secure qualification for the semi-finals.

Black Queens, Evelyn Badu for top awards

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Black Queens have been nominated in the Women’s Team of the Year category of the 2023 CAF Awards.

The senior national team have been on a winning spree since Nora Häuptle took over the coaching job early this year.

They face competition from Nigeria, Zambia, South Africa, Morocco, Burkina Faso, Malawi, Burundi, and Senegal.

Black Queens midfielder, Evelyn Badu has been nominated for the Women’s Player of the Year award in recognition of her impressive form in both the Paris 2024 Olympic qualifiers and the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Last year, Badu was crowned Young Player of the Year and Interclub Player of the Year at the 2022 CAF Awards in Rabat, Morocco.

Below is the full list of nominees

Interclub Player of the Year (Women)

1.     Refilwe Tholakele (Botswana, Mamelodi Sundowns)

2.     N’Guessan Nadege Koffi (Cote d’Ivoire, SC Casablanca)

3.     Elena Oyana (Equatorial Guinea, Huracanes)

4.     Comfort Yeboah (Ghana, Ampem Darkoa)

5.     Tracy Twum (Ghana, Ampem Darkoa)

6.     Oumou Kone (Mali, AS Mande)

7.     Aziza Rabbah (Morocco, AS FAR)

8.     Fatima Tagnaout (Morocco, AS FAR)

9.     Ghizlaine Chebbak (Morocco, AS FAR)

10.  Lebohang Ramalepe (South Africa, Mamelodi Sundowns)

Young Player of the Year (not more than 21 years)

1.     Comfort Yeboah (Ghana, Ampem Darkoa)

2.     Mary Amponsah (Ghana, Ampem Darkoa)

3.     Nesryne El Chad (Morocco, Lille)

4.     Deborah Abiodun (Nigeria, Pittsburg Panthers)

5.     Esther Opeyemi Ajakaye (Nigeria, Delta Queens)

6.     Oluwatosin Demehin (Nigeria, Stade Reims)

7.     Hapsatou Malado Diallo (Senegal, USPA/Eibar)

8.     Thubelihle Shamase (South Africa, University of Johannesburg FC)

9.     Winifreda Gerald (Tanzania, JKT Queens)

10.  Fauzia Najjemba (Uganda, Dynamo Moscow)

Coach of the Year (Women)

1.     Nana Joe Adarkwa (Ampem Darkoa)

2.     Lovemore Fazili (Malawi)

3.     Mehdi El Qaichouri (SC Casablanca)

4.     Mohamed Amine Alioua (AS FAR)

5.     Reynald Pedros (Morocco)

6.     Randy Waldrum (Nigeria)

7.     Mame Moussa Cisse (Senegal)

8.     Desiree Ellis (South Africa)

9.     Jerry Tshabalala (Mamelodi Sundowns)

10.  Esther Chabruma (JKT Queens)

Source: GraphicOnline