Khadija Shaw is the first Caribbean player to win CONCACAF Women’s Player of the Year honors.

The 31-year-old talismanic striker enjoyed another superb year in 2022. Four years after helping Jamaica become the first-ever Caribbean nation to qualify for a FIFA Women’s World Cup, Shaw played a huge role in helping Jamaica qualify for their second-straight Women’s World Cup.

Shaw led the Reggae Girlz to a Third-Place finish at the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship in Monterrey, Mexico, which punched their ticket to Australia/New Zealand 2023.

In the 2022 CWC, Shaw scored three goals, including the game-winning score in the opening 1-0 win versus Mexico and a brace in the 4-0 victory against Haiti, which sealed Jamaica’s Women’s World Cup qualification. For her efforts, Shaw was named to the 2022 CWC Best XI.

Shaw was just as lethal in CWC Qualifying, amassing nine goals to help Jamaica top their group to then qualify for the CWC. Shaw had braces versus Bermuda (4-0), Grenada (6-1) and the Dominican Republic (5-1), plus a hat trick versus Cayman Islands (9-0).

Shaw was announced as the winner of the award earlier that day, becoming the first Caribbean woman to claim the prize.

The 26-year-old, who had a wonderful year for club Manchester City and country, played a captain’s role in helping the Reggae Girlz to their second-straight World Cup appearance, while also playing a lead role for Manchester City to claim the 2021-22 FA Women’s League Cup. She scored three goals in the knockout stage.

“Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw’s winning the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s Player of the Year testifies that to dream, focus, work extraordinarily hard, and strive to overcome adversities, is a viable path to success,” the statement from the JFF read.

“The country has watched with pride and absolute amazement the rapid growth of the captain of Jamaica’s National Senior Women’s team, especially since going professional in 2019. To top this prestigious awards list that included accomplished players from the USA and Canada, among others, is a historic achievement for Jamaica. She becomes the first-ever awardee from outside of the United States.

“The Jamaica Football Federation wholeheartedly congratulates Khadija, Jamaica’s leading goal scorer across genders and currently the leading goal scorer in the 2023 Women’s Super League. She now ascends to an ambassador for Jamaica’s women’s football on the international football stage.

“In winning this award, Khadija has enhanced brand Jamaica, but even more so, has offered immense hope to countless young Jamaican female footballers. From playing in the streets of Spanish Town, to St Jago High School, to club, to the national team, to college and the professional ranks, she has not only paved the football pathway, but has shown the qualities that breed success,” Michael Ricketts, President of the JFF, added.