CAF Awards 2026: Hakimi, Mané, Semenyo headline star-studded nominations
SOME of Africa’s biggest football stars, including reigning African Player of the Year Achraf Hakimi, former winner Sadio Mané and established internationals Antoine Semenyo, Brahim Diaz and Amad Diallo, feature among the nominees for the men’s categories of the CAF Awards 2026, unveiled by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The prestigious awards ceremony will take place in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday, December 7, 2026, bringing together Africa’s leading football personalities to celebrate outstanding achievements at club and international level.
The nominations follow a remarkable year for African football, highlighted by the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Morocco 2025, the continent’s record-breaking participation at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and fiercely contested CAF interclub competitions.
Hakimi will seek to retain the Men’s Player of the Year award against an impressive field that includes Mané, Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr and Pape Gueye, Ghana’s Semenyo, Morocco’s Diaz and Ismael Saibari, DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa and South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena.
The CAF Awards 2026 will also recognise the outstanding contributions of goalkeepers, coaches, young players, clubs and national teams that have distinguished themselves during the year.
Ten nominees have been selected in each of the seven men’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 CAF Awards 2026 will recognise excellence across Africa’s club and international competitions, celebrating the achievements of players, coaches and teams who have contributed to another memorable year for African football. —CAF
Player of the Year nominees:
Amad Diallo (Côte d’Ivoire/Manchester United)
Yoane Wissa (DR Congo/Newcastle United)
Antoine Semenyo (Ghana/Manchester City)
Ismael Saibari (Morocco/Bayern Munich)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/Paris Saint-Germain)
Brahim Diaz (Morocco/Real Madrid)
Ismaila Sarr (Senegal/Crystal Palace)
Pape Gueye (Senegal/Villarreal)
Sadio Mané (Senegal/Al-Nassr)
Teboho Mokoena (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns)
Goalkeeper of the Year nominees:
Oussama Benbot (Algeria/USM Alger)
Josimar José Évora Dias ‘Vozinha’ (Cabo Verde/Colo-Colo)
Yahia Fofana (Côte d’Ivoire/Rizespor)
Lionel Mpasi (DR Congo/Le Havre)
El-Mahdi Soliman (Egypt/Zamalek)
Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt/Al Ahly)
Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti (Morocco/AS FAR)
Yassine Bonou (Morocco/Al Hilal)
Edouard Mendy (Senegal/Al Ahli)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns)
Interclub Player of the Year nominees:
Abdennour Belhocini (Algeria/CR Belouizdad)
Ahmed Khaldi (Algeria/USM Alger)
Mahmoud Hassan ‘Trezeguet’ (Egypt/Al Ahly)
Mohamed Shehata (Egypt/Zamalek)
Mohamed Rabie Hrimat (Morocco/AS FAR)
Mounir Chouiar (Morocco/RS Berkane)
Sofiane El Moudane (Morocco/Olympic Safi)
Khuliso Mudau (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns)
Teboho Mokoena (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns)
Abdel Raouf (Sudan/Al Hilal)
Coach of the Year nominees:
Lamine N’Diaye (USM Alger)
Pedro Leitão Brito ‘Bubista’ (Cabo Verde)
Sébastien Desabre (DR Congo)
Hossam Hassan (Egypt)
Moatamed Gamal (Zamalek)
Alexandre Santos (AS FAR)
Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco)
Walid Regragui (Morocco)
Pape Thiaw (Senegal)
Miguel Cardoso (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Young Player of the Year nominees:
Ibrahim Maza (Algeria/Bayer Leverkusen)
Christian Kofane (Cameroon/Bayer Leverkusen)
Christ Inao (Côte d’Ivoire/Fiorentina)
Yan Diomande (Côte d’Ivoire/Real Madrid)
Hamza Abdelkarim (Egypt/Barcelona)
Caleb Yirenkyi (Ghana/Coventry City)
Ismael Kamissoko (Mali/Etoiles Mandé)
Abdellah Ouazane (Morocco/Ajax)
Ayoub Bouaddi (Morocco/Manchester City)
Ibrahim Mbaye (Senegal/Aston Villa)
National Team of the Year nominees:
Algeria
Cabo Verde
Côte d’Ivoire
DR Congo
Egypt
Ghana
Morocco
Senegal
South Africa
Tunisia
Club of the Year nominees:
CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
USM Alger (Algeria)
AS Maniema (DR Congo)
Zamalek (Egypt)
AS FAR (Morocco)
Olympic Safi (Morocco)
RS Berkane (Morocco)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Al Hilal (Sudan)
Espérance Sportive de Tunis (Tunisia)
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