Reggae Girlz captain, Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has won the award for Manchester City Women’s Player of the Season, having come out on top in a fan vote.
Shaw, in her second season for Manchester City Women, scored 31 goals in all competitions, surpassing the record for the most goals by a Women’s player across a single season. She also claimed the WSL Player of the Month awards in November and March and received the Goal of the Season prize for her strike against Arsenal in April 2023.
Shaw, who scored twice in Manchester City Women's 3-2 win over Everton on Saturday's final day of the season, did miss out on the Women’s Super League Golden Boot having bagged 20 league goals, two shy of Aston Villa’s Rachel Daley’s 22. Daley scored in Aston Villa's 2-0 win over Arsenal.
Manchester City Women finished fourth in the WSL on 47 points behind winners Chelsea Women who amassed 58 points from their 22 games. Manchester United Women finished second with 56 points. Arsenal Women were third on 47 points, the same as Manchester City Women, who lost their first two games of the season before going on a 16-game unbeaten run.
However, the Cityzens lost three of their last six games and fell out of the running for the title. They finished with a record of 15 wins, two draws and five losses.
While breaking into the final squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup remains her main ambition, young striker Solai Washington is simply happy for the opportunity to learn from the more experienced members of the senior Reggae Girlz team.
At 17 years old, Washington earned her senior Reggae Girlz debut at the Cup of Nations tournament in Australia earlier this year, not merely for the sake of a trial but because she possesses great ability and gives high-quality effort — both on and off the ball — that bely her age and inexperience.
Simply put, Washington, the sister of Jamaica's accomplished midfielder Giselle, demonstrated to Head Coach Lorne Donaldson and his assistants Xavier Gilbert and Ak Lakhani, that she was ready for a step up from youth football and they duly obliged.
Since the Cup of Nations outing in Australia, where she rubbed shoulders with some of the women's game top players from the host nation, as well as Spain and the Czech Republic, Washington has been a staple at Reggae Girlz camps, the last of which was in England where they did battle against Sheffield United.
The US-born player, who like her sister, earns the Jamaican colours through her mother, is relishing time in the senior environment and even credits team captain and Manchester City striker Khadija "Bunny" Shaw for her guidance along the way.
"It has been a great experience so far; being the youngest member of both the Australia and England camps was an amazing honour as well as a great learning experience for me," said Washington.
"I used these camps to grow and learn from both the coaches and my older and more experienced teammates. In fact, Bunny has acted as a great mentor to me, sharing advice as well as her own experience representing Jamaica and that has helped with my transition as a young player coming into a professional international environment," she added.
Playing at the highest level has also lifted her confidence to the point where Washington is now motivated to become a potent performer in the Reggae Girlz setup, as her appetite for success is clear for all to see.
She recently assisted Chamblee High School to a State Championship, becoming the first DeKalb County School District girls football team to achieve the feat.
Washington was also named Georgia High School Soccer Player of the Year for her 42 goals complemented by nine assists. She was also instrumental in guiding her Concorde Fire team to the ECNL Under-19 National Championship last year.
"Being coached by Lorne Donaldson has been amazing. He has helped improve my game through individual and team instruction and has been nothing but encouraging," Washington shared.
"I have grown so much and I know as I continue my time with the Jamaican national team and develop more chemistry with my teammates, my confidence will continue to grow.
"I have gotten more comfortable with the team and I think that is portrayed both on an off the field. Since the camps, I have been training and developing to best prepare myself for anything in the future, doing my part to put my best foot forward for the Reggae Girlz," she continued.
With Donaldson expected to name 23-player squad for the World Cup next month, Washington is optimistic that she will make the cut for the July 20 to August 20 showpiece in Australia and New Zealand.
"Yeah, I do hope to make it but I leave it up to the coaches to determine my chances," Washington, who has committed to continuing her career at Duke University, declared.
For now, the tall but nippy player is focused on improving her craft should she be called upon.
The Girlz are expected to contest a two-match send off series on home soul against an opponent to be named next month.
"All I can do is give my best effort. So moving forward I am looking to continue growing as a player. Mentally, I am preparing by studying game film with my coaches and looking for areas to improve strategically so I can adjust to playing at an international level," Washington revealed.
"Physically, I am continuing to strengthen my body through weightlifting, cardio training and improving my technical abilities," she ended.
Jamaica’s Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay are among six nominees for the 2022 Concacaf Women's Player of the Year. The two are among six women’s players nominated along with Alicia Cervantes of Mexico, Jessie Fleming of Canada, Alex Morgan of the USA and Sophia Smith also of the USA.
Meanwhile, Reggae Boyz goalkeeper Andre Blake is among the six nominees for Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year. He is vying for the award alongside Tyler Adams and Christian Pulisic of the USA, Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies of Canada and Guillermo Ochoa of Mexico.
Fan voting opened on Friday, March 17, 2023, for the two categories. They will now be able to cast their votes at www.concacaf.com/concacaf-awards.
The 2022 nominees have been selected based on performance statistics and the input of technical experts. To be eligible to be shortlisted for these Concacaf awards, all players have met at least one of the following criteria:
Have played for a Concacaf Member Association's senior Men's or Women's national team (in eligible Concacaf and FIFA competitions and matches). Regardless of nationality, played for a club (in 2022) in a Concacaf and FIFA sanctioned top division Men’s or Women’s professional league in the Concacaf region.
Following the nomination process, Concacaf will continue its football-first philosophy with a voting process that ensures players, coaches, media and fans determine the winners.
Blake has 63 caps for Jamaica and represents Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer (MLS). He has four MLS all-star selections and two MLS Goalkeeper of the Year awards.
He was also the recipient of the 2022 John Wanamaker Athletic Award, which is presented annually since 1961 to the "athlete, team or organisation that has done the most to reflect credit upon Philadelphia and to the team or sport in which they excel."
Shaw, the runner-up for the 2018 Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year when Jamaica became the first Caribbean nation to ever qualify for a FIFA Women’s World Cup, Shaw played a huge role in helping her country qualify for their second straight Women’s World Cup, leading 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.
In the tournament, 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), and a hat trick against the Cayman Islands (9-0).
At club level with Manchester City in England, Shaw was equally prolific.
During the calendar year 2022, she scored 15 goals in 19 Women’s Super League games, seven goals in eight domestic cup games (Women’s FA Cup and FA Women’s League Cup) and two goals in two UEFA Women’s Champions League games.
Shaw’s three goals in the knockout stage helped Manchester City claim the 2021-22 FA Women’s League Cup.
Dumonrnay, a 19-year-old attacking midfielder played in seven matches with Haiti in 2022 and scored five goals. Of note were her three goals in Qualifying for the 2022 Concacaf W Championship, with a goal in the 6-0 win versus Cuba and a brace in the 21-0 victory over British Virgin Islands.
Dumornay then was a big part of Haiti’s campaign at the CWC in Monterrey, Mexico, creating headaches for opposing defenses with five steals and two clearances, while completing almost 82 percent of her passes.
Dumornay’s playmaking led to a penalty in Haiti’s opener versus the United States and then completed the tournament by twice hitting the post against Jamaica.
For her performance, she was named the winner of the 2022 CWC Best Young Player Award.
Dumornay helped Haiti finish third in their group to qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Inter-Confederation Playoffs for Australia/New Zealand 2023, where she scored a brace to help Haiti secure a first ever Senior Women’s World Cup berth in a 2-1 win versus Chile.
Her top performances also carried into her club season at Stade de Reims of France. In 16 games during the 2022 calendar year, Dumornay scored eight goals.
At the conclusion of the voting period, on April 13, 2023, the player in each category with the most votes out of the 100 available will be named 2022 Concacaf Men’s Player of the Year and 2022 Concacaf Women’s Player of the Year.
Bunny Shaw’s goal-scoring exploits have reached record-breaking levels for Manchester City Women this season after she scored twice on Sunday to lead her side to a 2-1 victory over Brighton.
Shaw scored in the 21st minute and 89th minute after Elizabeth Terland had pulled Brighton level in the 33rd minute. These were Shaw’s 25th and 26th goals in 22 games this season surpassing the previous 24 goals in the 2018/2019 season by Nikita Parris.
In 2023 alone, the Jamaican striker has scored two hat-tricks, while also striking four times in an 8-1 FA Cup win over Bristol City in February. Since joining Manchester City from Bordeaux in the 2021/2022 season, Shaw has scored 45 goals in 51 appearances, at an average of 0.88 per game.
Following Sunday’s record-breaking performance, team manager Gareth Taylor expressed his pride at Shaw’s achievements.
“I’m super proud of Bunny and all the players are. She understands the support and help she gets here to allow her to be herself,” Taylor said.
“I think what she’s done is remarkable, really - to go from the first game of the season scoring and not really have a dry spell at all, maybe a couple of games. She’s continued to score goals. She’s certainly a proven goal scorer, but it’s the types of goals she’s getting now and everything else she brings to us in the games.
“I think that’s nine in three games now, which is crazy.”
Khadija Shaw scored a hat-trick for Manchester City Women who came from a goal down to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 in their Women Super League clash at the Manchester City Academy Stadium on Sunday.
Jamaica and Manchester City Women forward Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has signed a contract extension with Nike. The 26-year-old Shaw broke the news to her more than 70 thousand followers on Instagram on Thursday.
Reggae Girlz striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw was again on the scoresheet for Manchester City Women as they defeated Tottenham Women 3-0 in the FA Women’s Super League (WSL) at Brisbane Road in London on Saturday.
Shaw produced a double to help City get their second win in four games, moving to fifth in the WSL.
Her first came just before halftime in the 41st minute before getting her second just after the break in the 47th minute. Lauren Hemp got City’s third goal in the 76th minute.
Shaw is now the leading scorer in the WSL so far this season with five goals from four games.
Reggae Girlz captain Kadijah ‘Bunny’ Shaw scored a brace as Manchester City Women defeated Leicester City Women 4-0 at the Manchester City Academy Stadium on Sunday.
Shaw scored in the 24th and 79th minutes to lead City to their first win of the season.
Shaw opened the scoring for City who took a 1-0 into the interval.
Lauren Hemp made it 2-0 in the 72nd minute before Shaw put the game to bed.
Yui Hasegawa added a fourth two minutes from the end of regulation to give Manchester City Women their first three points of the season and up to eighth in the league.
Manchester City Women were dominant throughout the game taking 23 shots with eight on target.
Shaw now has three goals this season.
Reggae Girlz striker and captain Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw says leading her country to a second straight World Cup “means a lot.”
The Manchester City striker was in fine form in Monday’s game, scoring a brace to help her side to a dominant 4-0 victory over the Haitians to secure a second consecutive World Cup berth.
“It means a lot, especially because throughout the beginning of the campaign we came under a lot of pressure. We just stood together and held our composure,” said Shaw.
“We knew that once we did that, at the end of the day we were going to be victorious and, I think, it just goes to show that we’re a small island, but we can do big things,” Shaw added.
Despite already booking their spot in Australia and New Zealand next year, their CONCACAF Women’s Championship campaign is not over with a semi-final against Canada on Thursday at 9:00pm Jamaica time (10:00pm EST). Defending world champions the USA will tackle Costa Rica in the other semi-final.
Shaw outlined how the team can overcome the challenge of the unbeaten Canadians.
“We need to remain confident and stay positive. We also have to continue to support each other and communicate. If we continue to stick together and stay confident, I’m sure we can do big things,” Shaw said.
Reggae Girl Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw was one of two Manchester City players who have been shortlisted for April's FA Women’s Super League Player of the Month Award.
A 23-member Reggae Girlz squad assemble in the United States tomorrow without inspirational captain Khadijah Shaw for two upcoming international friendly games as part of the 2021 Women's National Team Summer Series hosted by the US Soccer.
The local delegation from Jamaica will depart on Thursday, June 3 out of Montego Bay at 2:20 pm.
The squad will have a camp in Houston from June 4-7 after which it will relocate to the host hotel.
Jamaica will play number 38 ranked team Nigeria on June 10 and World champions the USA on June 13. Both games will be played at the BBVA stadium in Houston, Texas. The games will be the first for the Jamaican team since they participated in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers in February 2020 and they will do so without their prolific striker Shaw.
Jamaica's number-nine, the leading scorer for Bordeaux in the Division 1 Féminine, the highest division of women's football in France, has reportedly asked for time to recover from what was an intense season in which the team fought successfully for a Champions League spot.
Shaw was the joint-leading scorer, alongside PSG’s Marie-Antoinette Katoto, with 21 goals for Bordeaux, which finished third in the division.
Meanwhile, five new players have been named to the squad including Rebecca Spencer of Tottenham Hotspur, Drew Spence of Chelsea, and Shania Hayles of Aston Villa as well as Mikayla Dayes of the University of Maryland and Satara of FC Austin Elite.
They will join 14 veterans who represented Jamaica at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.
According to the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), once the teams arrive in Houston both for training camp as well as the tournament, they will operate under a highly controlled environment that will include testing on arrival for the camp and testing at the host hotel.
The staging of the official training and matches will fall under the comprehensive US Soccer Return to Play Protocols and Guidelines and in accordance with CONCACAF Return to Play Protocols. The JFF has also developed protocols for the training camp in keeping with these guidelines.
The full squad comprises Sydney Schnieder (Washington Spirit FC USA), Rebecca Spencer (Tottenham Hotspurs FC), Chantelle Swaby (Glasgow Rangers) Konya Plummer (Orlando Pride), Allyson Swaby (AS Roma), Deneisha Blackwood (Houston Dash), Havana Solaun (Carolina Courage), Chinyelu Asher (Washington Spirit FC), Olufolasade Adamamouken (University of Southern California), Drew Spence (Chelsea FC), Peyton McNamara (Ohio State University), Sashana Campbell (Petah Tikva), Tiernny Wiltshire (Maccabi Emek Hefer), Jody Brown (Florida State University), Shania Hayles (Aston Villa WFC), Gabrielle Gayle (South Alabama), Kayla McCoy (Training with Glasgow Rangers), Vyan Sampson (Charlton FC), Cheyna Matthews (Racing Louisville), Yazmeen Jamieson (Unattached) Tiffany Cameron (Ferencvaros), Mikayla Dayes (University Of Maryland), and Satara Murray (FC Austin Elite).
The pre-tournament camp which is mainly financed by the JFF has received support from the Bob Marley Foundation, the Reggae Girlz Foundation, Cool Runnings based in Houston, Arm Wave and Wisynco with its Wata brand.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
