📌 Quick answer: The CAF Awards 2026 will hold in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday 7 December 2026, CAF’s Executive Committee confirmed on 2 October. Nigeria will also host the CAF Ordinary General Assembly on Saturday 21 November 2026. The nominees have not yet been announced; last year CAF named them about a month before the ceremony. The reigning African Players of the Year are Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Ghizlane Chebbak, while Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie and the Super Falcons won in 2025.
Africa’s biggest football awards night is coming to Lagos. After four straight editions in Morocco, CAF’s Executive Committee has picked Nigeria’s commercial capital to host the 2026 ceremony, where the continent’s best men’s and women’s players, coaches, clubs and national teams of the year will be crowned.
Here is everything confirmed so far, what to expect in the coming weeks, and how Nigeria has fared at the awards.
CAF Awards 2026: Key Facts
| Event | CAF Awards 2026 |
| Date | Monday, 7 December 2026 |
| City | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Venue | Not yet announced by CAF |
| Related event | CAF Ordinary General Assembly, Nigeria, Saturday 21 November 2026 |
| Confirmed by | CAF Executive Committee meeting of 2 October 2026 |
| Nominees | Not yet announced |
When Will the Nominees Be Announced?
CAF has not given a date for the 2026 nominees. Last year’s timeline is the best guide: the men’s nominees for the CAF Awards 2025 were published on 20 October 2025, and the ceremony took place in Rabat on 19 November 2025, a gap of about a month. With the 2026 ceremony on 7 December, nominee lists are likely in late October or November.
In 2025, CAF said a panel of experts made up of members of its Technical and Development Committee, experienced coaches, CAF Legends and selected media representatives chose 10 nominees in each category, considering performances in all competitions. The lists were then cut down to finalists before the ceremony.
CAF Awards 2025: The Full List of Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Player of the Year (Men) | Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain) |
| Player of the Year (Women) | Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco / Al Hilal) |
| Goalkeeper of the Year (Men) | Yassine Bounou (Morocco / Al Hilal) |
| Goalkeeper of the Year (Women) | Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Brighton & Hove Albion) |
| Interclub Player of the Year (Men) | Fiston Mayele (DR Congo / Pyramids) |
| Young Player of the Year (Men) | Othmane Maamma (Morocco / Watford) |
| Young Player of the Year (Women) | Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR) |
| Coach of the Year (Men) | Bubista (Cape Verde) |
| National Team of the Year (Men) | Morocco Under-20 |
| National Team of the Year (Women) | Nigeria |
| Club of the Year (Men) | Pyramids (Egypt) |
| Referee of the Year (Men / Women) | Omar Abdulkadir (Somalia) / Shamirah Nabadda (Uganda) |
Nigeria left Rabat with two trophies: Nnadozie as the best women’s goalkeeper in Africa and the Super Falcons as Women’s National Team of the Year. Victor Osimhen was among the 10 nominees for Men’s Player of the Year.
Nigeria’s African Player of the Year Winners
| Year | Player |
|---|---|
| 1993 | Rashidi Yekini |
| 1994 | Emmanuel Amuneke |
| 1996 | Nwankwo Kanu |
| 1997 | Victor Ikpeba |
| 1999 | Nwankwo Kanu |
| 2023 | Victor Osimhen |
| 2024 | Ademola Lookman |
After a 24-year wait between Kanu’s second award and Osimhen’s in 2023, Nigeria won the men’s prize two years running, with Lookman following Osimhen in 2024. In the women’s game, Asisat Oshoala holds the record with six CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards.
What Hosting Means for Lagos
- Two CAF events in three weeks. The General Assembly on 21 November brings CAF’s member associations to Nigeria before the awards night on 7 December.
- A showcase for Nigerian football. Hosting puts the Super Eagles, Super Falcons and the domestic game in front of the continent’s football leadership.
- Visitors in December. The ceremony falls at the start of Lagos’s busy festive season, so expect demand for hotels and transport around the venue once it is named.
How to Watch
CAF streamed the 2025 ceremony live on its own platforms, including cafonline.com. Broadcast details for 2026 have not been announced; we will add them here when CAF confirms them.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the CAF Awards 2026?
Monday, 7 December 2026.
Where will the CAF Awards 2026 hold?
In Lagos, Nigeria. CAF has not yet named the venue.
Who won African Player of the Year 2025?
Achraf Hakimi of Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain won the men’s award; Ghizlane Chebbak of Morocco and Al Hilal won the women’s award.
Have the CAF Awards 2026 nominees been announced?
Not yet. In 2025, CAF named its nominees about a month before the ceremony.
Which Nigerians won at the CAF Awards 2025?
Chiamaka Nnadozie won Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, and the Super Falcons won Women’s National Team of the Year.
Sources
- CAF – “CAF Executive Committee approves 2026–2030 CAF Competitions Calendar, CAF Event Dates and Amendments to CAF Interclub Competitions Regulations”, 3 October 2026
- CAF – “Achraf Hakimi, Ghizlane Chebbak lead Morocco’s Golden Night at CAF Awards 2025”, 19 November 2025, and “Nominees in the Men’s categories for CAF Awards 2025 announced”, 20 October 2025
Last updated: 21 October 2026 · NaijaSabi Football Desk. We will update this page when CAF announces the nominees and venue.
0 Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!