Even with her club career at a crossroads following her exit from Atlético Madrid, Rasheedat Ajibade reminded the world of the value she can bring to any team in July, leading Nigeria to the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) crown.
NWSL and Zambia duo Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji were expected to light up the tournament in Morocco, and they certainly showed flashes of class. However, they were ultimately not the stars of the show.
Among the African players who had the most impressive July were a mixture of established stars and players who have slid under the radar of many.
1. Rasheedat Ajibade, Free agent
Whether playing out wide or in midfield, Ajibade led from the front as Nigeria captain as she inspired the Super Falcons to regain the WAFCON title they had surrendered in 2022.
Nigeria have been African champions 12 times if one includes the titles they won in 1991 and 1995 before the African Women's Championship was restructured. However, in 2022 in Morocco, they had a joint-worst fourth-place finish as South Africa won the title.
Ajibade's leadership was instrumental in ensuring that the Super Falcons pulled themselves out of the rut they had been in and stood on top of the podium once again in the same country where they had been heartbroken three years earlier.
Through her underappreciated and tireless work on and off the ball, her goal against South Africa and her key creative work, she made sure she contributed in all areas on and off the pitch and clinched the Player of the Tournament award. Ajibade was the only player in the WAFCON to clinch Player of the Match in three consecutive games.
2. Esther Okoronkwo, AFC Toronto
Few players had a genuine case to challenge Ajibade for Player of the Tournament honours, but Okoronkwo was certainly one of them. With six assists to her name, she was by far the most productive creative player in the tournament.
Second place in the assists column was shared by Ajibade, Ibtissam Jraïdi, Lebo Ramalepe and Méta Kandé, who each got two.
In the final win over Morocco, she was the most influential player - scoring Nigeria's opening goal and setting up their second and third.
3. Ghizlane Chebbak, Levante Las Planas
Had Morocco held their 2-0 lead and not allowed Nigeria back into the final, Chebbak would likely have been at the top of our list.
The Levante Las Planas midfielder was the driving force behind Morocco's run to the final and finished as the tournament's top scorer with five goals in addition to her two assists.
Chebbak was the engine of the team and was desperately unlucky not to come out of it with the WAFCON trophy in her hands.
Ed Dove reacts to Morocco's performance in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations final vs. Nigeria.
4. Ashleigh Plumptre, Al Ittihad
Plumptre was one of the most influential players in Nigeria's success. Playing at left-back, she was solid defensively and often wreaked havoc upon opposition defences when she bombed forward.
Formerly of Leicester City, Notts County and USC Trojans, Plumptre has become a mainstay in the Nigeria side since her 2022 debut.
She has been with Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad since 2023, but although she has not been in the spotlight at club level as much as in her FA WSL days, her performances for Nigeria have only gotten better if anything.
5. Ibtissam Jraïdi, Al Ahli
Jraïdi - another player based in Saudi Arabia - led the line with distinction for Morocco, finishing the tournament with three goals and two assists.
She may not quite have been as influential as Chebbak, but her goal in a 2-2 draw with Zambia in the group stage ultimately helped Jorge Vilda's side clinch top spot in Group A, while her finest performance came in the 3-1 quarter-final win over Mali, as she netted a brace.
6. Barbra Banda, Orlando Pride
Banda was every bit as impressive as expected during the group stage, but was unable to come to the rescue as Zambia suffered a 5-0 quarter-final defeat at the hands of eventual champions Nigeria.
The Copper Queens would surely have been dreaming of glory when Banda fired them 1-0 up against hosts Morocco within the first minute of their opening game - her first ever WAFCON appearance. Ultimately, Zambia's leaky defence came back to haunt them and the match finished 2-2.
Banda's brace handed Zambia a 3-2 win over Senegal and the Copper Queens then beat DR Congo 1-0 in their final group stage fixture. However, after a huge defeat to Nigeria, it is back to the drawing board.
Ed Dove reacts to Zambia's 5-0 defeat to Nigeria and a Women's AFCON quarterfinal exit for NWSL stars Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji.
7. Racheal Kundananji, Bay FC
While Zambia's offensive system was working at the WAFCON, it was a joy to watch, and Kundananji was every bit as influential as Banda. While more inclined to drop back and press than Banda, Kundananji still scored in all of Zambia's group fixtures.
The duo looked set to be among the most dominant in the tournament until Nigeria brought them to a halt.
8. Jennifer Echegini, Paris Saint-Germain
Echegini had a mixed tournament overall, with some impressive moments and some in which her inexperience showed. However, when all was said and done, she wrote herself in the history books by scoring the winning goal in Nigeria's 3-2 final victory over Morocco.
Okoronkwo's free-kick floated into the danger area, but could easily have bounced away from Echegini. However, the midfielder showed expert technique and composure to get her body over the ball and sweep home a memorable winner in the 88th minute.
9. Nguenar Ndiaye, Bourges
Nguenar scored back-to-back braces in Senegal's first two games of the tournament. She netted twice in a 4-0 win over DR Congo and then twice again in a 3-2 defeat to Zambia.
Having been playing in France's Division 3 Féminine with Bourges, the 30-year-old was not expected to be one of the stars of the tournament. However, she is now a player who African women's football fans will not soon forget.
10. Lebo Ramalepe, Mamelodi Sundowns
There were few Banyana Banyana players who truly appeared to be the best version of themselves during this year's WAFCON. Given the off-field discontent with the South African Football Association and the horrific injury suffered by Gabriela Salgado in the semi-final defeat to Nigeria, one can hardly fault them.
However, right-back/right midfielder Ramalepe provided much-needed spark throughout the tournament. With a goal and two assists to her name, her runs down the right flank disrupted opposition backlines. Banyana finished fourth after losing the third-place playoff to Ghana.