CAF POTY nomination elates Grace Chanda

Zambia Women’s national team captain Grace Chanda has expressed excitement following her nomination for the CAF Women’s African football player of the year.

Chanda has made the last three of the Best CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award, alongside Ajara Nchout Njoya of Cameroon and FC Barcelona and Nigeria star Asisat Oshoala who has won the award four times.

Chanda won the player of the year and golden boot in the Zambia Women’s national league before making a switch to Kazakhstan Champions, BIIK Kazyugurt.

“I’m very happy because this is my first time being nominated. This was my dream so I will work hard so that I can even be number one,” She said.

“My career from last year, I gave myself a target to work hard and find myself among the best players. I won the best player and golden boot in Zambia. I worked hard in training and my teammates have always believed in me and pushed me together with my coaches.”

“From day one we knew how the tournament would go. The two players of the match accolades are my first at the AFCON and that surprised me. The goodness with our team is that we work together and help each other correct our mistakes,” she added.

Chanda says the team is eying the bronze medals after failing to reach the final.

The Kazakhstan based has captained the Copper Queens to their first FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance at the 2022 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), scoring two goals and picking up two Woman of the Match awards in matches against Togo and South Africa.

“Our target was to reach the final but it was not to be hence we will push ourselves to win the third place because we failed to reach the final despite working very hard,” she said.

“Being a captain yes gives pressure because all eyes are on you. You have to push and work hard. You have to lift your teammates when they are down. You have to be a leader, push, and work hard. We don’t have the best team here but we are pushing ourselves.”

The 2022 CAF Awards will be held in Rabat, Morocco on Thursday, 21st July 2022 at 20h00 local time. (19h00 GMT).

Chanda will again lead the Copper Queens on Friday in the third and fourth playoff against nine-time Champions, Nigeria at the Mohammed V Stadium.