Four Nigerian players have been named among the 100 best female footballers in the world in The Guardian’s 2025 annual rankings, with goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and forward Rasheedat Ajibade leading the pack, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The other two Nigerians to make the prestigious list are forwards Gift Monday and Esther Okoronkwo, both appearing for the first time.
Nnadozie Returns to the Top 100
Nnadozie, who narrowly missed the list in 2024, claimed 65th place this year. The Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper has gained international recognition for her performances, including 11 clean sheets for Paris FC last season, which facilitated her move to the Women’s Super League.
She was instrumental in Nigeria’s successful Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) campaign, securing her second continental title with the Super Falcons and earning accolades as the tournament’s best goalkeeper. Nnadozie also finished fourth in the Yashin Trophy voting, becoming the first African women’s goalkeeper shortlisted for the award while winning the 2025 CAF Women’s Best Goalkeeper award.
Reflecting on her inclusion, Nnadozie said, “It shows that all the hard work, dedication and everything I’ve been doing in the past, has been worth it. The world has been watching. It will make a very big impact in Africa because we have so many good players and they just need the opportunity to show what they can really do.”
Ajibade Makes Top 100 Debut
Rasheedat Ajibade made her debut at 79th place, after previously falling just outside the list at 104th in 2024. The PSG forward impressed in Spain with Atlético Madrid last season, scoring double-digit goals before joining the French champions over the summer. At WAFCON, she captained Nigeria, netting a decisive goal in the semi-final and earning the tournament’s best player award.
First-Time Entrants: Monday and Okoronkwo
Gift Monday of Washington Spirit earned 97th place following a standout NWSL debut season that included eight goals and a crucial Championship semi-final strike. Esther Okoronkwo of AFC Toronto ranked 98th, becoming the first player from Canada’s Northern Super League to enter the top 100. Okoronkwo contributed eight goals and seven assists during the regular season and recorded two goals, six assists, and a player of the match performance in Nigeria’s 3-2 WAFCON final win over Morocco.
Historic Nigerian Presence
Nigeria’s representation in the Guardian rankings continues a historic trend. Since 2017, at least one Nigerian player has been featured every year, with Chiamaka Nnadozie and Asisat Oshoala being the only players nominated multiple times. Oshoala, who made eight consecutive appearances between 2017 and 2024, is absent from the list this year.
The Guardian’s rankings, started by The Offside Rule podcast in 2016 and published since 2018, are compiled by a global panel of experts, including players, coaches, journalists, and broadcasters. The panel evaluates a longlist of 450 players and ranks their top 40, with points allocated by position to determine the final top 100.
Other African Players
Other African players on the list include Racheal Kundananji of Zambia, ranked 100th, while Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak, the newly crowned Women’s African Footballer of the Year, finished 74th. Zambian striker Barbra Banda, previously ranked seventh in 2024, placed 14th this year, remaining the highest-ranked African player so far.
Nigeria’s strong representation highlights the growing prominence of African women footballers on the global stage, demonstrating the depth of talent emerging from the continent.
