The organizers of Ballon d’Or football award, France Football magazine, has nominated Super Falcons coach, Justin Madugu, and the team’s goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, for the 2025 award expected to hold in Paris.
Madugu and Nnadozie will be hoping to edge out other contenders to win the best coach and goalkeeper awards during the ceremony for one of the most prestigious individual prize in football which has been scheduled for 22 September 2025.
Nnadozie was nominated for the Women’s Yachine Trophy while Madugu was nominated for the Women’s Team Coach of the Year Trophy.
The nominees for the award which rewards the best in the world was announced on Thursday by the organizers who further disclosed that the award ceremony will be held at the Theatre du Chatelet in central Paris.
The Brighton goalkeeper was among a five-woman shortlist which also included Ann-Katrin Berger of Germany and Gotham FC, Cata Coll of FC Barcelona, Hannah Hampton of England and Chelsea, and Daphne Van Domselaar of Arsenal.
The former Paris FC shot stopper was part of the Super Falcons team that recently won the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after defeating the host country, Morocco, 3-2 after a brilliant comeback at the final in Rabat on July 26, 2025.
Nnadozie, who emerged as the goalkeeper of the tournament where the Super Falcons won their 10th title, has been praised for his heroics during the tournament.
Madugu, who led the team’s victorious campaign, was nominated for the Women’s Team Coach of the Year Trophy, alongside other nominees that include Chelsea’s Sonia Bompastor, Arthur Elias of Brazil’s women’s national football team, Renée Slegers of Arsenal, and the coach of the English women’s national football team, Sarina Wiegman.
It would be recalled that for their heroic performance at WAFCON, President Bola Tinubu conferred the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger on the team.
He awarded the players the naira equivalent of $100,000 each and the technical team the naira equivalent of $50,000 each.
The President also said members of the team would each receive a three-bedroom apartment.
