Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie has been shortlisted for the Best FIFA Women’s Goalkeeper Award for 2025, a recognition that highlights her growing reputation as one of the best shot-stoppers in the world.
The 24-year-old Super Falcons goalkeeper joins a list of top international stars, including Hannah Hampton, Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Christiane Endler, Anna Moorhouse, and Phallon Tullis-Joyce.
FIFA announced the shortlist earlier this week, describing the nominees as “outstanding athletes who have shown excellence and consistency in women’s football over the past year.”
Nnadozie’s inclusion has been celebrated widely across Nigeria and Africa, with fans praising her for consistently raising the profile of African women’s football on the global stage.
The nomination caps off a brilliant year for Nnadozie, who has continued to impress both at club and international levels. Until recently, she played for Paris FC, one of the top clubs in France’s Division 1 Féminine.
In May, she helped the team win the Coupe de Féminine, France’s top women’s cup competition, where her performances between the posts were crucial in securing victory. Her leadership, agility, and penalty-saving ability earned her praise from teammates, coaches, and fans alike.
Beyond club football, Nnadozie was one of the standout players for Nigeria’s Super Falcons during the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), held in Morocco. She kept four clean sheets throughout the tournament and was eventually named Goalkeeper of the Tournament after Nigeria’s strong run in the competition.
Her commanding presence, sharp reflexes, and ability to organize the defense were key factors in Nigeria’s success.
Nnadozie’s FIFA nomination adds to her growing list of achievements in women’s football. Earlier this year, she was also nominated for the CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award—a title she has already won twice in a row. If she wins again, it would mark her third consecutive victory, solidifying her dominance as Africa’s top female goalkeeper.
In addition, she was among the nominees for the inaugural Female Yachine Trophy, an award created to recognize the best female goalkeeper in world football—further proof of her rising global status.
Born in Umunneochi, Abia State, Nnadozie began her football journey in Nigeria with Rivers Angels FC, where her talent quickly caught national attention. Her big break came during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France, where she became the youngest goalkeeper ever to keep a clean sheet in the tournament’s history—at just 19 years old.
Since then, her steady rise has made her one of the most respected African players in women’s football today.
Nnadozie’s latest recognition is not just a personal achievement but also a major win for Nigerian women’s football, which continues to gain international attention. The Super Falcons have long dominated the African continent, winning a record 11 WAFCON titles, but global recognition for individual players like Nnadozie marks a new era for the team.
Reacting to her nomination, fans on social media hailed Nnadozie for representing the country with pride. Many noted that her achievements have come through hard work and perseverance, despite the challenges facing women’s football in Nigeria.
Nnadozie now faces tough competition from other elite goalkeepers around the world as FIFA prepares to announce the final winner of the Best Women’s Goalkeeper Award later this year. The winner will be selected through votes from coaches, captains, journalists, and fans worldwide.
If she wins, Nnadozie will become the first African goalkeeper—male or female—to claim a FIFA Best Goalkeeper award, further cementing her place in football history.
For now, her nomination alone is being celebrated as another proud moment for Nigerian sports, reflecting how far African women have come in competing at the highest levels of global football.
