Hakimi, Mané, Semenyo and Brahim Diaz headline star-studded Men's nominations for CAF Awards 2026
Some of Africa's biggest football stars, including reigning African Player of the Year Achraf Hakimi, former winners 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 Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF).
The prestigious awards ceremony will take place in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday, 07 December 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 TotalEnergies 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.
Morocco, Senegal and South Africa are strongly represented following impressive performances in major international competitions, while several emerging talents have earned recognition after making significant breakthroughs on the world stage.
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.
CAF MEN'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The race for Africa's most prestigious individual football honour features an exceptional combination of established stars, continental champions and players who excelled at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Morocco's Achraf Hakimi returns to defend the award he won in 2025 after another year at the highest level with Paris Saint-Germain and the Atlas Lions.
Senegal's Sadio Mané is bidding to add another honour to his impressive career, while compatriot Pape Gueye was one of the outstanding performers at the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Morocco 2025.
Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr completes Senegal's three-man representation following impressive performances in English football and for the national team.
Morocco's Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari also feature prominently after helping their country reach the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for a second successive tournament.
Ghana's Antoine Semenyo earns recognition following his rise in English football and with the Black Stars, while Côte d'Ivoire's Amad Diallo has established himself as an influential attacking player for the Elephants and at Manchester United.
DR Congo's Yoane Wissa and South Africa's Teboho Mokoena, a key figure in Mamelodi Sundowns' continental success, complete the ten-man shortlist.
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)
CAF MEN'S GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Africa's leading goalkeepers will compete for an award recognising decisive contributions in major continental and international competitions.
South Africa's Ronwen Williams is among the prominent contenders after captaining Mamelodi Sundowns to their second TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title in May 2026.
Williams produced one of the defining moments of the final against Morocco's AS FAR, saving a second-half penalty in Rabat as Sundowns secured a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Algeria's Oussama Benbot also enjoyed a memorable continental campaign, helping USM Alger win the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Zamalek.
Morocco's Yassine Bonou remains a leading contender after his performances for the national team, including two penalty saves against Nigeria in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Morocco 2025.
Senegal's Edouard Mendy, Côte d'Ivoire's Yahia Fofana and DR Congo's Lionel Mpasi bring considerable international experience, while Cabo Verde's veteran Vozinha earns recognition following his country's historic FIFA World Cup debut.
The shortlist also includes Egyptian goalkeepers El-Mahdi Soliman and Mostafa Shobeir, alongside Morocco's Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti.
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)
CAF MEN'S INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The Men's Interclub Player of the Year nominations reflect another competitive season in African club football, with representatives of the continent's leading clubs recognised for their performances in the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League and TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup.
South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns feature strongly following their 2025/26 Champions League triumph, with midfielder Teboho Mokoena and defender Khuliso Mudau among the nominees.
Mokoena scored a crucial goal in the second leg of the final against AS FAR, helping the South African champions secure their second continental title.
USM Alger's Ahmed Khaldi and CR Belouizdad's Abdennour Belhocini lead the Algerian representation, with Khaldi playing an important role in USM Alger's successful Confederation Cup campaign.
Morocco has three contenders in AS FAR's Mohamed Rabie Hrimat, RS Berkane's Mounir Chouiar and Olympic Safi's Sofiane El Moudane.
Egyptian internationals Mahmoud Hassan 'Trezeguet' of Al Ahly and Zamalek's Mohamed Shehata also feature, while Sudan's Abdel Raouf earns recognition for his performances with Al Hilal.
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)
CAF MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR
The Men's Coach of the Year category brings together ten outstanding tacticians whose work shaped an eventful year for African football.
Mamelodi Sundowns' Miguel Cardoso features among the leading contenders after guiding the South African giants to their second TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title, overcoming Morocco's AS FAR in the final.
Senegalese coach Lamine N'Diaye also enjoyed continental success, steering USM Alger to the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup title following a dramatic victory over Egypt's Zamalek.
On the international stage, Cabo Verde's Pedro Leitão Brito, popularly known as Bubista, is recognised following the island nation's historic appearance at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
DR Congo's Sébastien Desabre and Egypt's Hossam Hassan also earn nominations after guiding their respective national teams through major international assignments.
Morocco's Mohamed Ouahbi and Walid Regragui are among the contenders following the country's continued success on the international stage, including another impressive World Cup campaign.
Senegal's Pape Thiaw, AS FAR's Alexandre Santos and Zamalek's Moatamed Gamal complete the shortlist.
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)
CAF MEN'S YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The Men's Young Player of the Year award highlights ten emerging footballers who have announced themselves at the highest levels of club and international competition.
Ghana midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi is among the notable nominees following his breakthrough at the FIFA World Cup 2026, where he scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Panama in the Black Stars' opening match.
His performances at the tournament were followed by a move from Danish club FC Nordsjælland to Coventry City.
Morocco's Ismael Saibari is not listed in this category, but the country's impressive emerging generation is represented by Abdellah Ouazane and Ayoub Bouaddi.
Algeria's Ibrahim Maza and Cameroon's Christian Kofane, both of Bayer Leverkusen, are also recognised, reflecting the continued emergence of African talent in European football.
Côte d'Ivoire has two nominees in Christ Inao and Yan Diomande, while Egypt's Hamza Abdelkarim and Mali's Ismael Kamissoko represent North and West Africa respectively.
Senegal's Ibrahim Mbaye completes the shortlist following his progress in European football.
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)
CAF MEN'S NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR
Africa's historic performance at the FIFA World Cup 2026 dominates the nominations for Men's National Team of the Year.
The continent was represented by a record ten countries at the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with nine reaching the Round of 32 in an unprecedented collective achievement.
Morocco led the African challenge by progressing to the quarter-finals for a second successive World Cup, while Egypt also reached the Round of 16.
Cabo Verde's maiden participation produced one of the continent's most memorable stories, with the island nation holding European champions Spain to a goalless draw and advancing from the group stage.
Ghana, DR Congo, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Algeria and South Africa also reached the knockout phase, reinforcing Africa's growing competitiveness on the global stage.
Tunisia completes the ten-team shortlist following its participation in the historic tournament.
Nominees:
· Algeria
· Cabo Verde
· Côte d'Ivoire
· DR Congo
· Egypt
· Ghana
· Morocco
· Senegal
· South Africa
· Tunisia
CAF MEN'S CLUB OF THE YEAR
The Men's Club of the Year award features ten leading teams that have distinguished themselves in African football during the period under consideration.
Mamelodi Sundowns are among the leading contenders after winning their second TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title in May 2026, defeating Morocco's AS FAR 2-1 on aggregate.
Their success ended a decade-long wait for another continental crown and secured a record USD 6 million winners' prize.
Algeria's USM Alger also feature prominently after lifting the TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup for the second time, overcoming Zamalek in a dramatic penalty shootout in Cairo.
The Egyptian giants are also shortlisted after reaching the Confederation Cup final, alongside Morocco's AS FAR, who finished runners-up in the Champions League.
Morocco has three representatives in AS FAR, RS Berkane and Olympic Safi, while Algeria's CR Belouizdad joins USM Alger in the nominations.
DR Congo's AS Maniema, Sudan's Al Hilal and Tunisia's Espérance Sportive de Tunis complete a shortlist representing some of Africa's most established and ambitious clubs.
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)
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.
The awards ceremony will be held in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday, 07 December 2026.
For more information on the CAF Awards 2026, visit www.cafonline.com.
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