Tanzanian trio nominated for CAF awards
EGYPT: THREE Tanzanian footballers have been named among the continent’s top performers ahead of the 2025 CAF Awards, with Shomari Kapombe, Winfrida Gerald and Esther Maseke drawing attention for their inclusion on the final shortlists.
Kapombe, who plays for Simba SC, has been nominated for Men’s Interclub Player of the Year, becoming one of the few East African players recognised in the category.
On the women’s side, JKT Queens duo, Winfrida Gerald and Esther Maseke are running for Women’s Young Player of the Year, marking a significant moment for Tanzanian women’s football at continental level.
They are joined by teammate Jamila Rajab, who appears on the list for Women’s Interclub Player of the Year.
Meanwhile, Simba SC and JKT Queens have each received nominations in the Club of the Year categories for men and women respectively and the Tanzania women’s national team is in contention for Women’s National Team of the Year. Kapombe will be up against 10 others in his category, including Fiston Mayele of DR Congo (Pyramids FC), Emam Ashour of Egypt (Al Ahly) and Issoufou Dayo of Burkina Faso (RS Berkane). His nomination reflects Simba’s on-going presence in African interclub competition.
For the JKT Queens pair, competition in the young player category includes Habiba Essam of Egypt (Al Ahly), Stella Nyamekye from Ghana (Fort Lauderdale United), and Ruth Mukoma of Zambia (Zesco United).
In the interclub category, Jamila Rajab faces contenders from AS FAR (Morocco), ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire) and Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa).
In the club categories, Simba SC is listed alongside teams such as Pyramids (Egypt), RS Berkane (Morocco), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) and ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire), while JKT Queens feature with AS FAR, Bayelsa Queens (Nigeria), and TP Mazembe (DR Congo).
The Tanzania women’s team appears alongside South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco and Zambia, reflecting its growing profile in recent regional tournaments.
The CAF Awards also include some of Africa’s bestknown players. The Men’s Player of the Year shortlist features Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/Paris Saint-Germain) and Serhou Guirassy (Guinea/Borussia Dortmund).
In the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year category, Andre Onana (Cameroon/Trabzonspor), Yassine Bonou (Morocco/Al Hilal), and Edouard Mendy (Senegal/Al Ahli) are among those shortlisted.
Meanwhile, coaches including Walid Regragui (Morocco), Hossam Hassan (Egypt), and Krunoslav Jurcic (Pyramids) are nominated for Coach of the Year.
