The Confederation of African Football has released the best 11 players at the just concluded 12th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and Nigeria’s duo of Rasheedat Ajibade and Osinachi Ohale made the cut.
Atletico Madrid’s feminine forward Ajibade and Deportivo Alaves defender Ohale, according to CAF, were two of Nigeria’s most prominent stars in Morocco.
Ajibade ended the tournament as the joint-top scorer with three goals and three assists despite missing a larger part of the semi-final against host Morocco and the entire final due to suspension as a result of the red card she bagged in the semi-final.
The 22-year-old scored in the Falcons’ 2-1 defeat to South Africa, before further goals against Burundi and Cameroon.
While Ajibade was excellent in the attack, veteran defender and four-time WAFCON winner, Ohale put up a solid performance defensively for the Falcons, helping the team keep three clean sheets at the tournament.
The 30-year-old even picked up a Woman-of-The-Match award for her brilliance in Nigeria’s 1-0 win over Cameroon in the quarter-finals.
Ajibade and Ohale had also made a team of the week during the competition.
Both players join nine other stars from three other semi-finalists to make up CAF’s best XI for the 2022 Championship.
Ajibade was named on the right side, Morocco’s Fatima Tagnaout took the left position while Banyana’s Jermaine Seoposenwe was deployed to lead the line upfront.
In total, Banyana, who defeated Morocco in the final, produced four players, custodian Andile Dlamini, who kept three clean sheets in the six games, Mbane in the defensive role, Jane Refiloe in midfield, and Seoposenwe in the attacking role.
Runners-up Morocco has three representatives, while bronze medallists Zambia have two players among Africa’s best XI.
South Africa defeated host Morocco by 2-1 to emerge champions of the 2022 WAFCON tournament.