CAF Awards 2026: Nominees, Date & Morocco’s Stars

The CAF Awards 2026 will bring African football’s leading players, coaches, clubs and national teams together in Lagos, Nigeria, on Wednesday, 2 December 2026. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has moved the ceremony forward from its previously announced December date. The event is scheduled to begin at 19:00 local time in Lagos (18:00 GMT) at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, widely known as the National Theatre.

This guide brings together the confirmed 2026 CAF Awards date, venue, voting window and every nominee list published by CAF as of 11 November 2026. It also highlights Morocco’s strong representation, including Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Díaz, Ismael Saibari, Yassine Bounou, Abdellah Ouazane, Ayoub Bouaddi, Mohamed Rabie Hrimat, Mounir Chouiar, Sofiane El Moudane and several Atlas Lionesses. Categories whose nominations have not yet been released are clearly identified rather than filled with speculation.

CAF Awards 2026: date, time and venue

Date: Wednesday, 2 December 2026
Venue: Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts (National Theatre), Lagos, Nigeria
Start time: 19:00 in Lagos / 18:00 GMT
Voting period announced by CAF: 5–20 November 2026
Organiser: Confederation of African Football (CAF)

CAF confirmed the revised date on 10 November. The change is important for supporters following the awards: the ceremony is now scheduled for 2 December, not the earlier 7 December date mentioned in the first nomination announcements. Lagos is hosting the CAF Awards for the first time since the 2014 edition. CAF says the 2026 event will recognise achievements across 18 award categories.

CAF Awards 2026: men’s nominees

CAF published the men’s shortlists on 4 November, with ten nominees in each of seven categories. Morocco features prominently across the individual, coaching, club and national-team races.

1. Men’s Player of the Year

The headline individual award includes reigning winner Achraf Hakimi, who is nominated again after another high-level year with Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco. He is joined by compatriots Brahim Díaz and Ismael Saibari.

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 Díaz (Morocco / Real Madrid)
Ismaila Sarr (Senegal / Crystal Palace)
Pape Gueye (Senegal / Villarreal)
Sadio Mané (Senegal / Al-Nassr)
Teboho Mokoena (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)

Hakimi is seeking to retain the title he won in 2025. Díaz and Saibari give Morocco three representatives in the men’s main player category, underlining the national team’s influence on the continental stage.

2. Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year

Morocco has two nominees in this category: Yassine Bounou and Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti. Bounou is recognised after his performances for the national team and Al Hilal, while Tagnaouti is listed following his season with AS FAR.

Oussama Benbot (Algeria / USM Alger)
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 Bounou (Morocco / Al Hilal)
Edouard Mendy (Senegal / Al Ahli)
Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)

3. Men’s Interclub Player of the Year

This award focuses on performances in CAF club competitions. Three Moroccan players are nominated: Mohamed Rabie Hrimat of AS FAR, Mounir Chouiar of RS Berkane and Sofiane El Moudane of Olympic Safi.

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)

4. Men’s Coach of the Year

Morocco has two nominees among the ten coaches: Walid Regragui, head coach of the senior national team, and Mohamed Ouahbi. AS FAR coach Alexandre Santos is also on the shortlist.

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)

5. Men’s Young Player of the Year

Two Moroccan prospects are included: Abdellah Ouazane and Ayoub Bouaddi. Their nominations place Morocco among the countries represented in the race to recognise the continent’s most promising young male footballers.

Ibrahim Maza (Algeria / Bayer Leverkusen)
Christian Kofane (Cameroon / Bayer Leverkusen)
Christ Inao (Côte d’Ivoire / Fiorentina)
Yan Diomandé (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)

6. Men’s National Team of the Year

The Moroccan men’s national team is among the ten nominees. The full shortlist is:

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

7. Men’s Club of the Year

Three Moroccan clubs have made the shortlist: AS FAR, Olympic Club Safi and RS Berkane. Their presence gives Morocco a strong position in the club award.

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

CAF Awards 2026: women’s nominees

CAF announced four women’s shortlists on 3 November. Morocco is represented in the Women’s Player, Goalkeeper, Young Player and National Team categories. CAF has stated that the nominations for Women’s Interclub Player, Women’s Coach and Women’s Club of the Year will be confirmed after the CAF Women’s Champions League Egypt 2026 concludes.

8. Women’s Player of the Year

Hanan Ait El Haj is Morocco’s nominee in the main women’s player category. She is listed alongside leading African players including Barbra Banda, Thembi Kgatlana and the Chawinga sisters.

Marine Dafeur (Algeria / Bristol City)
Marie Ngah Manga (Cameroon / Fenerbahçe)
Michaely Bihina (Cameroon / Benfica)
Monique Ngock (Cameroon / Washington Spirit)
Portia Boakye (Ghana / UNAM)
Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi / Olympique Lyon)
Temwa Chawinga (Malawi / Kansas City Current)
Hanan Ait El Haj (Morocco / Deportivo Alavés)
Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa / Tigres UANL)
Barbra Banda (Zambia / Orlando Pride)

9. Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year

Morocco’s Khadija Er-Rmichi is among the ten goalkeepers nominated. The AS FAR goalkeeper is listed in a category that also includes Cameroon’s Michaely Bihina and several established international shot-stoppers.

Chloe N’Gazi (Algeria / Marseille)
Michaely Bihina (Cameroon / Benfica)
Cynthia Konlan (Ghana / Samartex)
Mercy Sikelo (Malawi / Civil Service United)
Fatoumata Karantao (Mali / USFAS)
Khadija Er-Rmichi (Morocco / AS FAR)
Christiana Uzoma (Nigeria / Edo Queens)
Adji Ndiaye (Senegal / Bourges Foot)
Kaylin Swart (South Africa / JVW)
Hazel Nali (Zambia / ZESCO)

10. Women’s Young Player of the Year

Moroccan youngster Kautar Azraf is nominated in the women’s youth category. CAF’s shortlist includes ten emerging players from across the continent.

Romaine Gandonou (Benin / Tambours)
Maeva Nyadjou (Cameroon / Kansas City Current)
Grace-Ruth Sery (Côte d’Ivoire / FC Nordsjælland)
N’Sira Ouédraogo (Côte d’Ivoire / FC Nordsjælland)
Rose Kadzere (Malawi / Montpellier)
Kautar Azraf (Morocco / Barcelona)
Seimeyeha Janet Akekoromowei (Nigeria / Benfica)
Oluwakemi Adegbuyi (Nigeria / Edo Queens/Robo Queens)
Adji Ndiaye (Senegal / Bourges Foot)
Winfrida Gerald (Tanzania / JKT Queens)

11. Women’s National Team of the Year

The Morocco women’s national team is one of the ten nominees. The shortlist also features Algeria, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria and South Africa.

Women’s club, coach and interclub nominations: still to come

As of 11 November 2026, CAF has not yet published the nominees for Women’s Interclub Player of the Year, Women’s Coach of the Year and Women’s Club of the Year. CAF says these three shortlists will be confirmed after the conclusion of the CAF Women’s Champions League Egypt 2026, so performances in that competition can be considered. We will update this guide when the governing body releases the official names.

Morocco’s representation at the CAF Awards 2026

Morocco is among the most visible countries in the 2026 nominations. In the men’s awards, the country has nominees in 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. In the women’s awards announced so far, Morocco is represented by Hanan Ait El Haj, Khadija Er-Rmichi, Kautar Azraf and the national team.

For more coverage of Moroccan football, follow our Atlas Lions hub, read the latest Moroccan players abroad round-up, and catch up on our reports about Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Díaz. You can also explore our coverage of Moroccan Botola Pro and football matches and results.

How are the CAF Awards winners selected?

CAF announced that voting for the 2026 awards runs from 5 to 20 November. The process involves CAF Member Associations and clubs, with eligible coaches and captains invited to cast votes. CAF says the process is designed to provide broad representation and is subject to independent monitoring. The published nominee lists are shortlists, not final results: winners will only be known when they are announced at the ceremony in Lagos.

Official sources and updates

For confirmed dates, nomination lists and any later changes, consult CAF’s official announcements:

Editorial note: This article reflects CAF information available on 11 November 2026. Nomination lists and event information may be updated by CAF. Lions12 will amend this report when additional official shortlists are announced.

More Lions12 coverage: read our latest updates on Ismael Saibari, Mohamed Ouahbi, and the history of AS FAR women’s football.

CAF Awards 2026: Full Nominees List, Date, Time and Morocco’s Contenders