In a moment of pure national pride, Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) Women’s World Best Goalkeeper Award, marking her as the first Nigerian to achieve this global recognition. The 24-year-old shot-stopper, fresh off a stellar performance in Nigeria’s triumphant WAFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic, joins an elite cadre of ten nominees, including global stars like Germany’s Ann-Katrin Berger and Spain’s Cata Coll. Fans across Nigeria are erupting in celebration, hailing her as a beacon of excellence amid the electric hype surrounding the Super Falcons’ latest continental conquest.
The nomination, announced on October 28 by the IFFHS—a respected body founded in 1987 that honors top performers through votes from journalists and experts in over 120 countries—caps a banner year for Nnadozie, whose reflexes, command, and clutch saves have redefined goalkeeping in women’s football. The winner will be revealed in December, alongside rankings for players, referees, and coaches, but Nnadozie’s inclusion alone is historic: a victory would etch her name as the first African woman to claim the accolade.
Nnadozie’s journey to this point is nothing short of inspirational. Born in Umuahia, Abia State, she burst onto the scene with Rivers Angels in Nigeria, clinching the 2019 Women’s Premier League title and three Nigeria Women’s Cups before her European leap. Joining Paris FC in January 2020, she amassed 118 appearances, including 16 in the UEFA Women’s Champions League from 2022 to 2025. Her crowning club moment came in June 2025, saving two penalties in the Coupe de France Féminine final to secure victory over Paris Saint-Germain—a feat that propelled her to the 2024 UNFP Division 1 Féminine Goalkeeper of the Season, the first African to win it. This summer, she made waves with a free transfer to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Women’s Super League, where her October heroics—a stunning stop from Tottenham’s Eveliina Summanen—earned a nomination for the Barclays WSL Save of the Month.
On the international front, Nnadozie’s 55 caps for the Super Falcons since her 2018 debut against France have been transformative. At just 19, she became the youngest goalkeeper to keep a World Cup clean sheet, in Nigeria’s 2-0 win over South Korea at France 2019. Her pinnacle arrived at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, where she anchored a record-extending 10th title for the Falcons, earning Goalkeeper of the Tournament and a spot in the Team of the Tournament with multiple clean sheets. She followed that with back-to-back CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year honors (2023-2024) and a groundbreaking fourth-place finish in the 2025 Yashin Trophy—the Ballon d’Or’s female equivalent—making her the first African and Nigerian to reach that milestone.
The timing couldn’t be sweeter. Just yesterday, October 28, Nnadozie stood tall between the posts as the Super Falcons sealed a 3-1 aggregate victory over Benin’s Amazons in the 2026 WAFCON qualifiers at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta. Despite a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the second leg—after a commanding 2-0 first-leg win in Lomé, Togo, courtesy of Chinwendu Ihezuo and Esther Okoronkwo—the Falcons advanced, extending their unbeaten qualifying streak to 16 editions. Coach Justine Madugu praised the team’s resilience, noting Benin’s fightback via Yasmine Djibril’s 61st-minute strike, but Nnadozie’s composure ensured no further damage. “We are back to defend our title,” the official Falcons X account declared, with the win also paving the way for 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup spots in Brazil for the top four WAFCON finishers.
Social media is ablaze with tributes, amplifying the “hype” around Nnadozie’s star power. Posts from @NigeriaStories racked up over 3,600 likes with “BREAKING NEWS: Super Falcons Goal keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie nominated… Congratulations!” while @VoiceOfTheEast celebrated her as a trailblazer, garnering 54 likes and 14 reposts. @ParallelFacts and @vanguardngrnews shared the buzz, with fans chanting #SoarSuperFalcons and #NnadozieForIFFHS. “This nomination means a lot… It shows hard work pays,” Nnadozie reflected in an earlier Ballon d’Or video, urging African goalkeepers to “keep working hard.”
For the Niger Delta—where football ignites dreams amid oil fields and resilience—Nnadozie embodies unyielding spirit. Her success spotlights talents from the region, inspiring youth in places like Port Harcourt and Warri to lace up and aim high. As the Falcons gear up for WAFCON defense in Morocco (March 17-April 3, 2026), Nnadozie’s nomination fuels the fire: a reminder that Naija girls can conquer the world, one save at a time.
