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CAF Awards 2026: Ten African Stars Featured in Men's Player of the Year Shortlist
CAF Awards 2026: Ten African Stars Feature in Men's Player of the Year Shortlist
The race for African football's biggest individual honour is attracting attention following the circulation of a graphic featuring ten players as nominees for the 2026 CAF Men's Player of the Year award.
The list includes several established African stars, with representatives from Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, DR Congo and South Africa.
The Ten Players Featured
The graphic features the following players:
- 🇨🇮 Amad Diallo – Ivory Coast
- 🇨🇩 Yoane Wissa – DR Congo
- 🇬🇭 Antoine Semenyo – Ghana
- 🇲🇦 Ismael Saibari – Morocco
- 🇲🇦 Achraf Hakimi – Morocco
- 🇲🇦 Brahim Díaz – Morocco
- 🇸🇳 Ismaïla Sarr – Senegal
- 🇸🇳 Pape Gueye – Senegal
- 🇸🇳 Sadio Mané – Senegal
- 🇿🇦 Teboho Mokoena – South Africa
A Strong Group of African Football Stars
The names featured represent different generations of African football talent.
Achraf Hakimi and Sadio Mané bring considerable experience at the highest level, while Amad Diallo and Antoine Semenyo represent a younger generation making their mark in European football.
Morocco and Senegal have three players each on the graphic, highlighting the depth of talent from both countries.
When Will the CAF Awards 2026 Take Place?
The 2026 CAF Awards ceremony is scheduled for December 7, 2026, in Lagos, Nigeria.
The ceremony will celebrate outstanding performances across African football, recognising players, coaches, clubs and national teams.
Important: The men's Player of the Year shortlist shown above has not been independently verified against an official CAF announcement. The names should not be presented as confirmed nominees until CAF publishes the list.
