Super Falcons shot-stopper Chiamaka Nnadozie has been named among the final ten contenders for the 2025 IFFHS Women’s World Best Goalkeeper Award, placing her shoulder to shoulder with some of the biggest names in global women’s football.
Currently guarding the posts for Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Women’s Super League, Nnadozie proudly stands as the only African nominated for the prestigious honour — a remarkable recognition of her stellar year both for club and country.
Among her competitors are top international goalkeepers such as Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany/Gotham FC), Cata Coll (Spain/Barcelona), Hannah Hampton (England/Chelsea), and Christiane Endler (Chile/Lyon). Others on the shortlist include Daphne van Domselaar (Netherlands/Arsenal), Katharine Tapia (Colombia/Palmeiras), Lorena Leite (Brazil/Kansas Current), Phallon Tullis-Joyce (USA/Manchester United), and Jennifer Falk (Sweden/Häcken).
The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) has been honouring the best football performers around the world since 1987, with winners selected through votes from over 120 journalists and football experts worldwide. Results for the 2025 edition are expected to be announced in December.
For Nnadozie, this nomination crowns what has been an unforgettable year. Since joining Brighton, the 24-year-old has become a standout figure in the Women’s Super League, winning praise for her consistency, sharp reflexes, and leadership in goal. Her recent nomination for the October WSL Save of the Month — for her stunning denial of a free-kick from Tottenham’s Eveliina Summanen — further highlights her growing influence in England.
On the international stage, she shone brightly at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, where she was named Best Goalkeeper, helping Nigeria make another deep run in the tournament.
Earlier this year, she made history as the first Nigerian and African goalkeeper to be nominated for the Women’s Yachine Trophy, finishing an impressive fourth. She’s also in contention for the CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year Award, which she’s on track to win for a third straight time — a feat unmatched in African women’s football.
If she clinches the IFFHS crown, Nnadozie will etch her name in history as the first African woman ever to win the award — a landmark achievement that would further cement her place among the finest goalkeepers in the world.
