Nnadozie And Ajibade Lead Nigerian Quartet In Guardian’s Top 100

Super Falcons Stars Shine in Prestigious Women’s Football Rankings.

Four Nigerian players have secured spots in The Guardian’s annual ranking of the 100 best female footballers in the world, with goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and forward Rasheedat Ajibade spearheading the charge, Sportblits.com reports.

The newcomers Gift Monday and Esther Okoronkwo round out the Nigerian contingent, marking their first-time appearances on the esteemed list curated by a global panel of experts.

Nnadozie’s Triumphant Return

Nnadozie re-enters the top 100 at 65th position, rebounding from a narrow miss in 2024. The Brighton & Hove Albion shot-stopper has solidified her status as a world-class custodian, boasting 11 clean sheets for Paris FC last season that earned her a high-profile move to the Women’s Super League.

Her heroics were instrumental in Nigeria’s WAFCON triumph, clinching a second continental title for the Super Falcons and earning her tournament best goalkeeper honors. Nnadozie also etched history by finishing fourth in Yashin Trophy voting—the first African woman shortlisted—and claiming best goalkeeper at the 2025 CAF Awards.

“It shows that all the hard work, dedication and everything I’ve been doing in the past, has been worth it,” she told The Guardian. “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’s Breakthrough Debut

Ajibade storms in at 79th, improving from 104th last year. The PSG forward dazzled in Spain with Atlético Madrid, notching double-digit goals before her summer switch to the French giants. As Nigeria captain, she orchestrated the WAFCON glory, scoring a semi-final decider and scooping tournament MVP.

Monday and Okoronkwo’s Impressive Entries

Monday, of Washington Spirit, lands at 97th after a stellar NWSL debut featuring eight goals, including a Championship semi-final stunner.

Okoronkwo, with AFC Toronto, clocks in at 98th—the first from Canada’s Northern Super League. She tallied eight goals and seven assists in the regular season, then dazzled at WAFCON with two goals, six assists, and a Player of the Match nod in the 3-2 final win over Morocco.

Nigeria’s Enduring Legacy

This quartet extends Nigeria’s historic streak, with at least one Super Falcon in every list since 2017 and nine prior entries. Only Nnadozie and Asisat Oshoala boast multiple nods—Oshoala with eight straight from 2017-2024, absent this year.

The rankings, born from The Offside Rule podcast in 2016 and partnered with The Guardian since 2018, draw from a 450-player longlist voted by players, coaches, journalists, and broadcasters. Top 40 rankings yield points for the final standings.

African highlights abound: Zambia’s Barbra Banda climbs to 14th (from seventh in 2024), the continent’s highest; Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak at 74th (newly crowned African Footballer of the Year); and Zambia’s Racheal Kundananji at 100th.

As the full top 10 awaits reveal, Nigeria’s four-strong presence underscores the Super Falcons’ growing global clout—proof that African talent is rewriting women’s football history.