Desiree Ellis wins coach prize at Caf Awards, Osimhen is Player of the Year

Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis won Women’s Coach of the Year at the Caf Awards in Marrakesh, Morocco, on Monday night.

Ellis steered Banyana to being Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions in July 2022 and the first South African national senior team to reach the group stages of a World Cup in Australasia this year, losing 2-0 against Netherlands in the last 16 in August.

Banyana and Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies player Andile Dlamini was the goalkeeper in the Caf/FifPro Women’s XI, where she was joined by South Africa teammates Bambani Mbane and Lebohang Ramalepe, also of Sundowns. Two more Banyana players, Linda Motlhalo and Refiloe Jane, were in the midfield bringing South Africa’s complement to five.

Nigeria and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen won Men’s Player of the Year, beating fellow nominees Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Liverpool and Morocco and Paris St-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi.

Banyana striker Thembi Kgatlana was among the three nominees for Women’s Player of the Year but lost out to Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria.

Ellis was shortlisted with Sundowns Ladies coach Jerry Tshabalala and former Morocco women's coach Reynald Pedros.

She singled out Tshabalala for mention in her acceptance speech.

“I’d like to acknowledge coach Jerry — he does fantastic work in South Africa and that’s why I’m standing here,” she said.

“I’d also like to acknowledge all the other coaches who work in women’s football. This is for all of you, all the administrators who work in women’s football, but most importantly it’s for all the Banyana players because they make us [the coaches] look good.

“To all the staff of Banyana who worked tirelessly and to all the teams who did so well at the World Cup ... women’s football on the continent is rising.”

Morocco coach Walid Regragui, who steered Morocco to being the first African World Cup semi-finalists in Qatar in December 2022, was the shoo-in for Men’s Coach of the Year.

Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year was Yassine Bounou of Morocco. Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie won Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

TimesLIVE