Brighton and Hove Albion have extended warm congratulations to their new signing, Nigeria’s Super Falcons number one, Chiamaka Nnadozie, following her nomination for the prestigious Ballon d’Or Yachine Trophy.
On Thursday, organisers, France Football unveiled the nominees for the women’s category of the Yachine Trophy at the 2025 Ballon d’Or, with Nnadozie making the five-player shortlist.
She joins Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC & Germany), Cata Coll (Barcelona & Spain), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea & England), and Daphne van Domselaar (Arsenal & Netherlands) in contention for the honour.
The 23-year-old shot-stopper enjoyed a remarkable year for both her former club, Paris FC, and the Nigerian national team.
She was instrumental in Paris FC’s French Cup triumph, pulling off two crucial saves in the penalty shootout to secure a 5-4 victory over Paris Saint-Germain.
Nnadozie carried that blistering form into the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where she helped the Super Falcons rally from 2-0 down to stun hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final.
Her heroic performances between the sticks earned her the Goalkeeper of the Tournament accolade.
The Seagulls, celebrating their new player’s achievement, wrote on X, “Congratulations to #WAFCON24 winner @NadozieChiamaka on a well-deserved #BallonDor Yachine Trophy nomination!”
Meanwhile, Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has also been shortlisted, making the cut for the Best Women’s Coach award after guiding Nigeria to a record-equalling 10th WAFCON title in Morocco.
The 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held on September 22, 2025, at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
The shortlist was compiled by journalists from France Football in collaboration with French sports daily L’Equipe.
