CAF Awards 2026: Osimhen, Lookman Snubbed as Nigeria Misses African Player of the Year Shortlist

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Nigeria has been dealt a major blow at the 2026 CAF Awards after no Nigerian player was included in the 10-man shortlist for the prestigious Men’s Player of the Year award.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the nominees on Wednesday, November 4, with reigning African Player of the Year Achraf Hakimi, former winner Sadio Mané and several of Africa’s leading stars making the final list.

The omission means that neither Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen nor Ademola Lookman, who won the award in 2023 and 2024 respectively, will have the opportunity to reclaim the continent’s top individual men’s football honour this year.

It is the first time since 2022 that Nigeria has failed to produce a nominee in the Men’s Player of the Year category.

The absence is particularly significant given Nigeria’s recent dominance of the award. Osimhen ended a 24-year wait for a Nigerian winner when he was crowned African Player of the Year in 2023, before Lookman succeeded him in 2024.

CAF’s 2026 shortlist is dominated by Morocco and Senegal, with each country providing three nominees.

Morocco’s trio consists of Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi, Real Madrid forward Brahim Díaz and Bayern Munich midfielder Ismael Saibari.

Hakimi, who won the award in 2025, will now attempt to retain the title after another impressive year for both club and country.

Senegal also has three contenders — former winner Sadio Mané of Al-Nassr, Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr and Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye.

The remaining four nominees are Ghanaian forward Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City, Côte d’Ivoire’s Amad Diallo of Manchester United, DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa of Newcastle United and South African midfielder Teboho Mokoena of Mamelodi Sundowns.

The full 10-man shortlist is:

• 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

CAF said the nominees reflect performances in club and international football during a year that included the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the 2026 FIFA World Cup and CAF’s major inter-club competitions.

Nigeria’s exclusion comes after a difficult period for the country’s senior men’s team. The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament that featured prominently in CAF’s assessment of players and national teams this year.

The omission also means Nigeria will not have a chance to extend its recent run of back-to-back winners in the men’s award.

While Osimhen and Lookman are absent, several of the continent’s biggest stars remain in contention, setting up a closely watched battle between Hakimi, Mané, Díaz, Semenyo and the other shortlisted players.

The winner will be announced at the CAF Awards ceremony in Lagos on Monday, December 7, 2026. Nigeria will host the prestigious event, which will bring together some of the continent’s biggest football stars, coaches and officials.

The development is likely to generate considerable debate among Nigerian football fans, particularly over the exclusion of Osimhen and Lookman after the pair delivered consecutive African Player of the Year awards for Nigeria.

For a country that has recently dominated the continent’s most prestigious individual men’s prize, the absence of a Nigerian name from the 2026 shortlist marks a striking change in fortunes.