Ghizlane Chebbak Wins 2025 CAF Women’s Player of the Year After Historic WAFCON Run on Home Soil

Ghizlane Chebbak has been crowned the 2025 CAF Women’s Player of the Year after leading Morocco to the final of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations on home soil, becoming the first Moroccan woman to ever win the award since its creation in 2001. The veteran midfielder beat Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade and team-mate Sanaa Mssoudy to the title in a result that sparked debate across African football.

Chebbak, 35, enjoyed a brilliant tournament in front of her home fans, finishing as top scorer and delivering one of the goals of the year in the WAFCON final. Despite her heroics, Morocco fell short in the decisive match, losing 3–2 to Nigeria’s Super Falcons, who sealed a record-extending 10th African crown. Even so, her performances across the competition and leadership as captain proved enough to sway CAF’s voting panel.

The victory is not just personal, it’s historic. Morocco, whose women’s football project has surged in recent years, had never produced a women’s Player of the Year winner before Chebbak. The award marks another milestone for a team that reached the 2023 Women’s World Cup knockout stages and has rapidly become a rising force on the continent. Chebbak said the honour was the result of years of work rather than one standout tournament.

“I am extremely delighted to receive this award,” she said during her acceptance speech in Rabat. “This is the fruit of a lot of hard work over the years.”

Still, many expected Ajibade to take the crown after guiding Nigeria to the title and being named Player of the Tournament. The Atletico Madrid forward’s influence in the final stages, combined with Nigeria’s dominance, made her the popular favourite among supporters and pundits online. But CAF’s voting system, which includes input from technical committees, journalists, national coaches and captains, leaned toward the Moroccan captain’s full body of work.

The debate doesn’t take away from Morocco’s achievement. Chebbak’s leadership was central not just on the pitch but also off it, helping drive a cultural shift in how women’s football is viewed in the country. Her impact stretches beyond goals and assists, with the Atlas Lionesses now seen as serious contenders in Africa after decades without major success.

There was some consolation for Nigeria on the night, though. Brighton’s Chiamaka Nnadozie was named CAF Best Goalkeeper for the third year running following her four clean sheets at WAFCON and a stellar debut year in the Women’s Super League. The 23-year-old has been widely tipped as one of the best keepers in the world and already looks like the long-term face of the position in African football.

Chebbak’s win signals a shift in power dynamics, with Morocco now pushing to match traditional giants like Nigeria and South Africa both on the pitch and in investment. With Afcon qualifiers approaching and another World Cup cycle beginning, the pressure will be on Morocco to prove 2024 wasn’t a one off, especially with Chebbak entering what could be the final stretch of her international career.

For now, history belongs to her.