CAF Awards 2026 Nominees Full List: Why Osimhen & Lookman Were Snubbed as Lagos Hosts Dec 7 Gala

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) officially unveiled the complete men’s and women’s shortlists for the 2026 CAF Awards on November 3 and November 4, 2026, sparking an immediate firestorm of debate across Nigeria and the wider African footballing continent. With Nigeria set to host Africa’s most prestigious football gala on Monday, December 7, 2026, at the newly refurbished Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Lagos, local fans expected a heavy Nigerian presence on the ballot.

Instead, the release of the seven Men’s categories delivered a seismic shock: not a single Nigerian male player, goalkeeper, coach, club, or national team made any of the 10-man shortlists. After dominating the continental podium for two consecutive years—with Victor Osimhen crowned African Footballer of the Year in 2023 and Ademola Lookman succeeding him in 2024—Nigeria suffered a total whitewash in the men’s division alongside Egyptian superstar Mohamed Salah.

However, Nigeria’s pride on home soil in Lagos will be fiercely defended by the country’s women’s football stars. The 10-time African champions Super Falcons, Falconets and Edo Queens shot-stopper Christiana Uzoma, NWFL MVP Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, and Benfica striker Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei all secured coveted spots on the CAF Women’s shortlists. Below is the complete, category-by-category breakdown of every nominee for the 2026 CAF Awards, a deep tactical analysis of why Osimhen and Lookman were snubbed, and everything you need to know ahead of the December 7 Lagos ceremony.

1. Executive Summary: 2026 CAF Awards Lagos Ceremony Details

Before diving into the individual player lists, review the official event specifications confirmed by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the 2026 gala:

2. CAF Men’s Player of the Year 2026: Full 10-Man Shortlist

Released on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, the flagship CAF Men’s Player of the Year shortlist is heavily dominated by Morocco (three nominees) and Senegal (three nominees), alongside standout performers from the English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Saudi Pro League, and the South African Premiership. South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena is the sole player plying his club trade on the African continent to make the 10-man elite list:

3. Why Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman & the Super Eagles Were Snubbed

Across Nigerian sports radio, social media, and football viewing centres, the immediate reaction to the 2026 Men’s shortlist has been disbelief: How can Nigeria host the CAF Awards in Lagos without Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Victor Boniface, or Stanley Nwabali appearing on a single shortlist?

A closer examination of CAF’s technical evaluation criteria during the 2026 World Cup cycle explains exactly why Nigeria’s male stars—alongside Egypt’s Mohamed Salah—were excluded:

• 1. The 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification & Knockout Factor: In a World Cup year, CAF’s Technical and Development Committee places overwhelming weight on performances at the expanded 48-team 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Every single one of the 10 players shortlisted for CAF Men’s Player of the Year represented an African nation that qualified for and competed in the 2026 World Cup—with Morocco reaching the World Cup Quarter-Finals (becoming the first African nation in history to reach consecutive World Cup quarter-finals), and Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, and South Africa all advancing to the World Cup Round of 32. Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup left Osimhen and Lookman without the summer’s biggest international stage.
• 2. Achraf Hakimi’s Ballon d’Or & FIFPRO Dominance: Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi not only led the Atlas Lions to another World Cup quarter-final run (drawing 1–1 with Brazil and beating Scotland and Haiti before falling to France), but also finished 13th in the 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings (ahead of Vinícius Jr.) and made the 26-man shortlist for the 2026 FIFPRO World 11.
• 3. Club Transitional Seasons & Injury Disruptions: While Nigerian forwards posted respectable club numbers in Europe, the assessment window coincided with club transfer sagas and intermittent injury layoffs that prevented any single Nigerian player from winning a major European trophy or domestic golden boot during the 2025/2026 eligibility cutoff.
• 4. Domestic Club Struggles in CAF Interclub Competitions: In the Men’s Club of the Year and Interclub Player of the Year categories, Nigerian NPFL sides exited the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup prior to the decisive knockout stages, ceding the spotlight to clubs from Morocco (AS FAR, RS Berkane, Olympic Safi), Algeria (USM Alger, CR Belouizdad), Egypt (Al Ahly, Zamalek), and South Africa (Mamelodi Sundowns).

4. CAF Women’s Player of the Year 2026: Full 10-Player Shortlist

Unveiled on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the CAF Women’s Player of the Year shortlist reflects Cameroon’s historic maiden triumph at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, where the Indomitable Lionesses eliminated Nigeria’s Super Falcons in the quarter-finals on their way to lifting the trophy.

Cameroon boasts three nominees on the 10-player list (Marie Ngah Manga, Michaely Bihina, and Monique Ngock), while Malawi’s prolific scoring sisters—Tabitha Chawinga and Temwa Chawinga—join reigning icons Barbra Banda (Zambia) and Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa):

5. Spotlight on Nigeria’s 4 Nominees: Uzoma, Adegbuyi, Akekoromowei & Super Falcons

While six-time winner Asisat Oshoala and reigning goalkeeper holder Chiamaka Nnadozie were absent following Nigeria’s quarter-final exit at the 2026 WAFCON, four Nigerian representatives earned spots on the 2026 ballot—giving home fans in Lagos genuine contenders to cheer for on December 7:

1. Christiana Uzoma — CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year

Representing Edo Queens and Nigeria’s U-20 women’s national team (the Falconets), shot-stopper Christiana Uzoma earned a well-deserved shortlist spot for CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year. Uzoma caught the eyes of CAF technical observers with her commanding reflexes at the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup and her heroic displays for Edo Queens during the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) Premiership and WAFU-B Women’s Champions League qualifiers.

2. Oluwakemi “Kemi” Adegbuyi — CAF Women’s Young Player of the Year

Nigeria boasts two nominees in the prestigious 10-player shortlist for CAF Women’s Young Player of the Year, headlined by domestic sensation Oluwakemi Adegbuyi. Adegbuyi enjoyed a breathtaking 2025/2026 campaign, sweeping both the NWFL Player of the Season and the NWFL Super Six Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards before lighting up the WAFU-B regional qualifiers.

3. Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei — CAF Women’s Young Player of the Year

Joining Adegbuyi in the Young Player category is prolific Falconets striker Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei, who plays her club football in Europe for Portuguese giants SL Benfica. Having terrorized defenses in the NWFL with Nasarawa Amazons before sealing her move to Portugal and spearheading Nigeria’s attack at the U-20 level, Akekoromowei is widely tipped as a podium favourite on December 7.

4. Nigeria’s Super Falcons — CAF Women’s National Team of the Year

Despite suffering a painful quarter-final elimination against eventual winners Cameroon at the 2026 WAFCON (which also cost Nigeria automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup), the 10-time African champions Super Falcons were shortlisted for CAF Women’s National Team of the Year alongside heavyweights Cameroon, South Africa, Morocco, and Ghana.

6. Full List: All Other 2026 CAF Men’s Categories (Goalkeeper, Coach, Young Player, Club & Team)

Here is the complete, verified list of all 10 nominees across each of the remaining six Men’s categories announced by CAF on November 4, 2026:

CAF Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year (10 Nominees)

• Yassine Bounou (Morocco / Al Hilal)
• Edouard Mendy (Senegal / Al Ahli)
• Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
• Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt / Al Ahly)
• El-Mahdi Soliman (Egypt / Zamalek)
• Yahia Fofana (Côte d’Ivoire / Rizespor)
• Oussama Benbot (Algeria / USM Alger)
• Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Morocco / AS FAR)
• Lionel Mpasi (DR Congo / Le Havre)
• Josimar José Évora Dias “Vozinha” (Cabo Verde / Colo-Colo)

CAF Men’s Young Player of the Year (10 Nominees)

• Ayoub Bouaddi (Morocco / Manchester City)
• Abdellah Ouazane (Morocco / Ajax)
• Ibrahim Maza (Algeria / Bayer Leverkusen)
• Christian Kofane (Cameroon / Bayer Leverkusen)
• Yan Diomande (Côte d’Ivoire / Real Madrid)
• Christ Inao (Côte d’Ivoire / Fiorentina)
• Hamza Abdelkarim (Egypt / FC Barcelona)
• Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana / Coventry City)
• Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal / Aston Villa)
• Ismael Kamissoko (Mali / Etoiles Mandé)

CAF Men’s Coach of the Year (10 Nominees)

• Walid Regragui (Morocco Senior National Team)
• Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco Youth National Team)
• Pape Thiaw (Senegal)
• Hossam Hassan (Egypt)
• Sébastien Desabre (DR Congo)
• Pedro Leitão Brito “Bubista” (Cabo Verde)
• Lamine N’Diaye (USM Alger)
• Moatamed Gamal (Zamalek)
• Alexandre Santos (AS FAR)
• Miguel Cardoso (Mamelodi Sundowns)

CAF Men’s Interclub Player of the Year (10 Nominees)

• Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet” (Egypt / Al Ahly)
• Mohamed Shehata (Egypt / Zamalek)
• Teboho Mokoena (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
• Khuliso Mudau (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
• Mohamed Rabie Hrimat (Morocco / AS FAR)
• Mounir Chouiar (Morocco / RS Berkane)
• Sofiane El Moudane (Morocco / Olympic Safi)
• Abdennour Belhocini (Algeria / CR Belouizdad)
• Ahmed Khaldi (Algeria / USM Alger)
• Abdel Raouf (Sudan / Al Hilal)

CAF Men’s Club of the Year (10 Nominees)

• Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
• Zamalek SC (Egypt)
• USM Alger (Algeria)
• CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
• AS FAR (Morocco)
• RS Berkane (Morocco)
• Olympic Safi (Morocco)
• Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)
• Al Hilal Omdurman (Sudan)
• AS Maniema Union (DR Congo)

CAF Men’s National Team of the Year (10 Nominees)

• Morocco
• Egypt
• Senegal
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Ghana
• South Africa
• Algeria
• DR Congo
• Cabo Verde
• Tunisia

7. Breakdown of the 2026 CAF Women’s Categories & Contenders

Across the seven Women’s categories—Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Young Player of the Year, National Team of the Year, and Club of the Year—the 2026 shortlists reward nations and clubs that excelled at the 2026 WAFCON in Morocco, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, and the CAF Women’s Champions League.

Key storylines shaping the Women’s categories ahead of December 7 include:

• Cameroon’s WAFCON Sweep Potential: Having dethroned Africa’s traditional hierarchy to lift their first-ever WAFCON title in 2026, Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses are overwhelming favourites to clinch Women’s National Team of the Year, while placing three stars (Marie Ngah Manga, Michaely Bihina, and Monique Ngock) in the main Player of the Year race.
• Nigeria’s Double Shot in the Youth Category: With both Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei making the 10-player shortlist for CAF Women’s Young Player of the Year, Nigeria has its strongest chance of winning a major plaque on home soil in Lagos in this category.
• Edo Queens’ Continental Footprint: Although Edo Queens narrowly lost their WAFU-B title to Ghana’s Ampem Darkoa following a controversial CAF-ordered final resumption in October 2026, goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma’s nomination for Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year underscores the growing strength of domestic Nigerian women’s club football.

8. How the 2026 FIFA World Cup Reshaped the Men’s National Team Nominations

A closer look at the 10 nominees for CAF Men’s National Team of the Year reveals that every single nominated nation competed as one of Africa’s representatives at the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup, where African teams delivered their deepest collective knockout performance in tournament history:

9. How CAF Awards Voting Works: Who Decides the Winners Before December 7?

Many football supporters mistakenly believe that the CAF Player of the Year is decided by public online fan polls. Under official CAF regulations, the winners across the major individual and team categories are selected by an electoral college comprising four distinct voting panels:

1. The CAF Technical and Development Committee: A panel of former African football legends, tactical analysts, and technical directors appointed by CAF.
2. Head Coaches of CAF Member Associations (54 Nations): The national team head coach of every African country casts a ranked ballot (1st, 2nd, 3rd choice) for both the Men’s and Women’s categories.
3. Captains of CAF Member Associations (54 Nations): The national team captain of each of the 54 CAF member nations submits an official vote.
4. Accredited African Media Professionals & Club Coaches/Captains: Selected veteran sports journalists from across the continent (plus head coaches and captains of clubs reaching the knockout stages of CAF Interclub competitions for the Interclub categories).

What Happens Next Before December 7: Between mid-November and late November 2026, CAF will trim each 10-nominee shortlist down to the Final Top 3 Contenders per category before announcing the winners live on stage in Lagos on Monday, December 7, 2026.

10. Recent CAF Player of the Year Winners (Men & Women Historical Tracker)

To understand what is at stake in Lagos on December 7, 2026—where Achraf Hakimi aims to join the elite club of back-to-back winners and Sadio Mané eyes a third career crown—review the recent roll of honour:

11. Where to Watch the 2026 CAF Awards Live in Lagos (TV Channels & Streaming)

With the ceremony taking place at the iconic Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts (formerly the National Arts Theatre) in Iganmu, Lagos, on Monday, December 7, 2026, attendance inside the auditorium is strictly by official CAF/NFF VIP accreditation and invitation. Football fans across Nigeria and Africa can watch the red-carpet arrivals and live trophy presentations through the following official broadcast channels:

• Satellite TV (Nigeria & Sub-Saharan Africa): Live HD coverage on SuperSport (DStv and GOtv), Afrosport TV, and StarTimes Sports.
• Terrestrial Television (Nigeria): Free-to-air broadcast on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Lagos Television (LTV).
• Free Global Live Stream (Online): Streamed live in 1080p HD on the official CAF TV YouTube channel and CAF’s official X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook platforms.

12. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the 2026 CAF Awards Nominees

1. When and where will the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony take place?

The 2026 CAF Awards will take place on Monday, December 7, 2026, at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Lagos, Nigeria.

2. Why were Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman omitted from the 2026 CAF Men’s Player of the Year shortlist?

Osimhen and Lookman missed out primarily because Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, whereas all 10 shortlisted players represented African countries that competed at the 2026 World Cup (including quarter-finalists Morocco and Round-of-32 sides Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, and South Africa).

3. Who are the 10 nominees for the 2026 CAF Men’s Player of the Year?

The 10 nominees are Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/PSG), Brahim Díaz (Morocco/Real Madrid), Ismael Saibari (Morocco/Bayern Munich), Sadio Mané (Senegal/Al-Nassr), Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal/Crystal Palace), Pape Gueye (Senegal/Villarreal), Antoine Semenyo (Ghana/Manchester City), Amad Diallo (Côte d’Ivoire/Manchester United), Yoane Wissa (DR Congo/Newcastle United), and Teboho Mokoena (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns).

4. Which Nigerian players and teams were nominated for the 2026 CAF Awards?

Nigeria received four nominations across the Women’s categories: the Super Falcons (Women’s National Team of the Year), Edo Queens and Falconets goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma (Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year), and the duo of Oluwakemi Adegbuyi and Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei (Women’s Young Player of the Year).

5. Who won the previous edition of the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award?

Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi is the reigning holder from the 2025 edition, following Nigeria’s back-to-back triumphs by Ademola Lookman (2024) and Victor Osimhen (2023).