Hakimi, Mane, Semenyo Headline 2026 CAF Awards Nominees

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has unveiled nominees for the 2026 CAF Awards, with reigning African Footballer of the Year Achraf Hakimi, former winner Sadio Mane and several other African stars featuring on the shortlist.

The nominees were announced ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled to take place in Lagos, Nigeria, on December 7, 2026.

The annual event will recognise outstanding performances by African players, coaches, clubs and national teams across various competitions during the year.

In the Men's Player of the Year category, Morocco's Hakimi will compete with Senegal's Mane, Ismaila Sarr and Pape Gueye, Ghana's Antoine Semenyo, Morocco's Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari, Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo, DR Congo's Yoane Wissa and South Africa's Teboho Mokoena.

Hakimi will be hoping to retain the award following another impressive season with Paris Saint-Germain and the Moroccan national team.

Meanwhile, the Men's Goalkeeper of the Year category features South Africa's Ronwen Williams, Morocco's Yassine Bounou, Senegal's Edouard Mendy, Algeria's Oussama Benbot, Ivory Coast's Yahia Fofana, DR Congo's Lionel Mpasi, Cabo Verde's Vozinha, Egypt's El-Mahdi Soliman and Mostafa Shobeir, as well as Morocco's Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti.

Williams earned recognition following his performances for Mamelodi Sundowns, who won the CAF Champions League in May 2026.

In the Men's Interclub Player of the Year category, Sundowns midfielder Mokoena and defender Khuliso Mudau are among the nominees.

They will compete against Algeria's Abdennour Belhocini and Ahmed Khaldi, Egypt's Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet and Mohamed Shehata, Morocco's Mohamed Rabie Hrimat, Mounir Chouiar and Sofiane El Moudane, as well as Sudan's Abdel Raouf.

The Men's Coach of the Year shortlist includes Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso, Senegal's Lamine N'Diaye, Morocco's Walid Regragui and Mohamed Ouahbi, DR Congo's Sébastien Desabre, Egypt's Hossam Hassan, Cabo Verde's Bubista, Senegal's Pape Thiaw, Alexandre Santos of AS FAR and Moatamed Gamal of Zamalek.

Ghana's Caleb Yirenkyi, who impressed at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, headlines the Men's Young Player of the Year nominations.

Other contenders include Algeria's Ibrahim Maza, Cameroon's Christian Kofane, Ivory Coast's Christ Inao and Yan Diomande, Egypt's Hamza Abdelkarim, Mali's Ismael Kamissoko, Morocco's Abdellah Ouazane and Ayoub Bouaddi, and Senegal's Ibrahim Mbaye.

For the Men's National Team of the Year award, Algeria, Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia have been shortlisted.

The Men's Club of the Year category features Mamelodi Sundowns, USM Alger, CR Belouizdad, AS Maniema, Zamalek, AS FAR, Olympic Safi, RS Berkane, Al Hilal and Espérance Sportive de Tunis.

The 2026 CAF Awards will celebrate outstanding contributions to African football across seven men's categories, with ten nominees selected in each category.

The ceremony will hold on Monday, December 7, in Lagos, marking Nigeria's return as host of the prestigious continental football awards.