Super Falcons teenagers Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Janet Akekoromowei have both been named on the 10-player shortlist announced on November 3, in the 2026 CAF Women’s Young Player of the Year category.
The complete list of nominees includes Romane Gandongou (Congo)
Maeva Ndzana (Cameroon)
Grace-Ruth Sery and N’Sira Ouédraogo (Ivory Coast)
Rose Kadzere (Malawi)
Kautar Azraf (Morocco)
Janet Akekoromowei and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi (Nigeria)
Awa Ndiaye (Senegal)
Winfrida Gerald (Tanzania)
The awards ceremony is scheduled for December 7 in Lagos.
16 year-old Adegbuyi has enjoyed a remarkable year. She was named Player of the Tournament at the WAFU Zone B U-17 Girls Cup. At the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco, she scored against Puerto Rico and North Korea and helped the Flamingos reach the semi-finals.
Akekoromowei, who recently moved to Portuguese club SL Benfica, impressed for the Falconets at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. She earned Player of the Match honours in the 3-0 victory over England after scoring and providing an assist. Before her European switch she was named MVP of the NWFL while playing for Nasarawa Amazons.
Both players have already made the step up to the senior national team. Adegbuyi received her first Super Falcons call-up after her strong domestic and youth international form, while Akekoromowei made her senior debut in October 2026.
Their dual nomination continues Nigeria’s strong tradition at the CAF Awards and underlines the depth of young talent emerging within the Super Falcons setup.
