The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Tuesday the rescheduling of the annual awards ceremony from December 7 to December 2 in the Nigerian city of Lagos. The new date, December 2, 2026, advances one of the most prominent events on the African sports calendar, bringing together a select group of the continent's best players, coaches, and teams in Lagos for a celebration highlighting the achievements that distinguished another exceptional year for African football.
Ceremony Details and Voting
The ceremony will be held at the renowned Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Arts in Lagos. The CAF Awards return to Lagos for the first time since the 2014 edition, with Nigeria's largest city serving as the perfect venue for this event that combines a passion for football with the continent's rich cultural heritage, alongside music and entertainment. The 2026 awards will honor excellence in 18 categories, headlined by the prestigious Best Player and Best Female Player awards.
The ceremony will celebrate the significant contributions of coaches, goalkeepers, emerging talents, clubs, and national teams that have inspired millions of fans across Africa and the world. CAF previously revealed lists of ten nominees in each category on Wednesday, announcing that voting would take place from November 5 to November 20.
Nominees and Players
Voting involves CAF member associations and clubs, while coaches and team captains qualified to vote are invited to cast their ballots directly in recognition of those who delivered exceptional performances during the year. The list of nominees for the Best Player award in the continent includes Mahmoud Hassan "Trezeguet," who moved to the Saudi club Al-Riyadh at the start of the current season following his brilliance with Al Ahly. Meanwhile, Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy of Al Ahly and Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou of Al Hilal are competing for the Best Goalkeeper award.
Senegalese player Sadio Mane of Al Nassr is also competing for the Best African Player award. The list includes other prominent Arab names, such as Algerian Ahmed Khaldi of USM Alger and CAF Confederation Cup winner, Abdennour Belhassen of JS Kabylie, Mohamed Rabie Meurad of Raja Casablanca, Munir Shair of Wydad Athletic Club, Sofiane Mouden of Olympique de Khouribga, Khoulous Modao of Mamelodi Sundowns, and Abdul Raouf Yaqoub of Al Hilal Omdurman.
Coaches and Youth
In the coaches' category, Hossam Hassan, the former coach of the Egyptian national team, entered the race for the Best Coach in Africa award after leading "The Pharaohs" to the Round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup. The list also includes Moadem Jamal, coach of Zamalek. Egyptian Hamza Abdel Kreem, player for Spanish club Barcelona and the Egyptian national team, competes for the Best Young Player in Africa award alongside several of the continent's most prominent emerging talents playing in Europe, including Algerian Ibrahima Maza of German club Bayer Leverkusen, the Moroccan duo Abdullah Zaane of Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam, and Ayoub Bouaddi of English club Manchester City.
Source: Arriyadiyah newspaper
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