November was a month that will be remembered for decades in African women’s football.
Zambia‘s Barbra Banda fired the Orlando Pride to the NWSL Championship with the only goal in the final against Washington Spirit, while Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga claimed the league MVP award for the Kansas City Current.
While Banda and Chawinga undoubtedly had November’s most memorable moments and accolades, there were strong performances from African players in Mexico and Europe too.
The likes of Rinsola Babajide (UD Tenerife) and Rosemonde Kouassi (Washington Spirit) were unfortunate to miss out in our form-based top 10 this month.
African women’s football has arguably never been as competitive as it is now, with that reflected at club level too as a new CAF Women’s Champions League winner was crowned – DR Congo’s TP Mazembe.
1. Barbra Banda, Orlando Pride
Banda found her best scoring form just as the NWSL playoffs began, netting twice in the quarter-finals against the Chicago Red Stars.
The Zambia striker went on to score in the 3-2 semi-final win over Temwa Chawinga’s Kansas City Current before her championship game winner against the Spirit.
Banda was the spearhead of the attack and stretched the Spirit defence time after time with her incisive runs despite being heavily marked. In the 37th minute, she found a way through as she drifted to the right flank, met a long ball from Angelina, cut inside and drilled home.
A superb month for Banda was capped off by her BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award, voted for by fans for her performances over a 12-month period.
Barbra Banda can’t hide her excitement after Orlando Pride’s NWSL Championship win and her award for final MVP.
2. Temwa Chawinga, Kansas City Current
Chawinga finished the regular season with a league-leading and record-breaking 20 goals and then added another to her tally in the playoffs – the winner in the 1-0 quarter-final win over North Carolina Courage.
Despite the Current’s semi-final exit in the NWSL, she landed the league MVP award in her first season.
Chawinga broke Sam Kerr‘s record of 18 goals in an NWSL season in October and there was never likely to be significant competition against her for the MVP prize. Both of the top two African regular season top scorers were African players from the COSAFA region, as Banda scored 13 regular season goals.
Towards the tail end of the season, Kundananji gave us glimpses of why Bay FC broke the women’s transfer world record to sign her.
Kundananji scored twice for Bay in their 3-2 win over Houston Dash, securing their place in the playoffs. However, they fell 2-1 to Washington Spirit at the first hurdle – exiting their first NWSL season in the quarter-finals.
Bay FC’s Racheal Kundananji reveals why she decided to stand on the ball and call over a Houston Dash defender.
4. Tabitha Chawinga, Olympique Lyon
Both Chawinga sisters continued to find the back of the net in November as Tabitha Chawinga scored for defending French champions Lyon in their 1-0 win over her former club, Paris Saint-Germain. This was a crucial goal in the league title race.
The elder Chawinga then went on to score a hat-trick in the 8-0 drubbing of Guingamp and another goal in the 11-0 thrashing of Saint-Étienne.
5. Ifeoma Onumonu, Montpellier
Since joining Montpellier from Utah Royals, Onumonu has recaptured her best form in front of goal.
November saw her shine for both club and country. She began by scoring in a 7-0 win over Guingamp, bagged a brace in a 4-2 defeat to Paris FC, scored the winner in a 1-0 win over Nantes and again in a 2-0 triumph over Saint-Étienne.
Then, Onumonu scored a superb goal on the break in the 2-1 loss to France to make a strong case to be the regular starting striker for the Super Falcons amongst a crowded field of in-form attackers.
6. Thembi Kgatlana, Tigres UANL
South Africa‘s Kgatlana scored in November against UNAM Pumas in a 7-1 win and then twice against Club América in separate 1-1 and 2-2 draws.
Tigres lost the final 4-3 on penalties in the final of the Apertura after a 3-3 aggregate draw with Monterrey.
7. Jennifer Echegini, Paris Saint-Germain
Echegini joined PSG from Juventus in July and has scored her first two goals for her new club. The promising Super Falcons forward netted twice in PSG’s 6-1 win over Dijon.
Despite their 1-0 loss to Lyon, PSG are only one point behind them after nine games in the race to the Première Ligue title.
8. Gift Monday, UD Tenerife
Yet another in-form Nigeria forward, Monday scored for Tenerife in their 2-1 Liga F win over Athletic Club.
She then found the back of the net again in the 4-1 Copa de la Reina win over Guiniguada Apolinario.
Monday also provided the assist for Onumonu for her goal in Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to France.
9. Jermaine Seoposenwe, Monterrey
Seoposenwe was on the winning side in the Liga MX Femenil Apertura final against international colleague Kgatlana.
She played a key role in getting her team that far and scored in November’s 4-1 win over Pachuca.
10. Asisat Oshoala, Bay FC
Possibly past the peak of her powers, Oshoala still manages to hit the back of the net with ease during purple patches in front of goal in the NWSL.
In November, the record six-time African Women’s Footballer of the Year scored Bay’s only goal in the 2-1 extra time quarter-final defeat to Washington Spirit.