By Prosper Mene
Super Falcons star Chiamaka Nnadozie has been shortlisted for the 2025 International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) Women’s World Best Goalkeeper award, placing her among an elite group of ten global nominees.
The 24-year-old Nigerian sensation, who currently plies her trade for Brighton & Hove Albion in England’s Women’s Super League, earned the nomination through a string of breathtaking performances that have solidified her status as one of the world’s premier shot-stoppers. If victorious, Nnadozie would etch her name in history as the first African woman to claim the honor, following in the footsteps of previous winners like Spain’s Sandra Paños and Germany’s Almuth Schult.
The IFFHS, founded in 1987, honors excellence in football through votes from journalists and analysts across more than 120 countries. The 2025 winners, including rankings for goalkeepers, players, referees, and coaches, will be unveiled in December. Nnadozie joins a formidable shortlist featuring the likes of Germany’s Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC), Spain’s Cata Coll (Barcelona), England’s Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), and Chile’s Christiane Endler (Lyon).
This nod caps a banner year for Nnadozie, whose heroics have lit up both club and international stages. At club level, she was instrumental in Paris FC’s Coupe de France Féminine triumph in June, where she heroically saved two penalties in the final against Paris Saint-Germain. Her move to Brighton in July marked a historic transfer, making her the first Nigerian player to join the Seagulls and bolstering their ambitions in the WSL. There, she’s already earning accolades, including a recent nomination for the Barclays WSL Save of the Month for October after a stunning stop on a Tottenham free-kick.
Internationally, Nnadozie’s brilliance shone brightest at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, where she backstopped Nigeria to a record-extending 10th title. Keeping multiple clean sheets en route to victory, she was crowned Best Goalkeeper and earned a spot in the Tournament Team of the Tournament. Earlier, she made waves at the 2024 Paris Olympics and became the first Nigerian and African nominee for the Women’s Yashin Trophy at the 2025 Ballon d’Or, finishing an impressive fourth.
Nnadozie’s journey from the Nigerian Women’s Premier League with Rivers Angels, where she won the title in 2019 and multiple cups, to Europe’s elite circuits underscores her rapid ascent. She debuted for the Super Falcons in 2018 against France and has since amassed 55 caps, including becoming the youngest goalkeeper to record a World Cup clean sheet at 19 during the 2019 tournament against South Korea.
As she eyes a potential third straight CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award, Nnadozie’s nomination serves as a beacon for aspiring African talents. “It’s an honor to be recognized alongside the best,” she said in a recent interview. “But my focus remains on the team, whether at Brighton or with the Super Falcons. This is just fuel for more.”
Fans and pundits alike are buzzing with anticipation. Should Nnadozie lift the IFFHS trophy, it would not only validate her individual prowess but also highlight the growing global impact of African women’s football.
