(Reuters) – Jamaica captain Khadija Shaw has become the first player from the Caribbean to be named CONCACAF women’s Player of the Year, the governing body said on Friday, after she played a key role in helping her country qualify for the Women’s World Cup.
Shaw scored a joint-highest three goals at last year’s CONCACAF W Championship to lead Jamaica to third place in the tournament, which served as a qualifier for this year’s showpiece event in Australia and New Zealand.
The 26-year-old has also been in fine form for Manchester City this season, leading the Women’s Super League with 18 goals in 19 games.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be named as CONCACAF Women’s Player of the Year, but I couldn’t have done it without my team mates as they’ve played a massive part in this,” said Shaw.
“The message I have to anybody who has a dream like I did is to keep believing and enjoy the process and journey.”
Jamaica are in Group F with France, Brazil and Panama at the World Cup, which will be held from July 20-Aug. 20. They begin their campaign against France on July 23 before facing Panama and Brazil.
Canada’s Alphonso Davies won the men’s award for the second straight year. Davies, who plays for German side Bayern Munich, scored the Canada men’s team’s first ever World Cup goal in Qatar last year.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
