Nigeria will have no representative in the men’s categories of the 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards for the first time since 2015.
Gatekeepers News reports that the omission follows the release of the nominees by CAF on Wednesday, with no Nigerian player, goalkeeper, coach, club or national team making the shortlist across the seven men’s categories.
Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Calvin Bassey are among the notable players who missed out on the nominations.
Osimhen and Lookman had previously won the Men’s Player of the Year award in 2023 and 2024 respectively, before Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi claimed the 2025 edition.
Despite Nigeria’s third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where Osimhen and Lookman featured in the tournament’s best eleven, neither made the 10-man shortlist for the 2026 award.
The nominees for the Men’s Player of the Year category include reigning winner Hakimi, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari, and Senegal’s Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr and Pape Gueye.
Others are Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo, DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa, Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo and South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena.
Nigeria’s absence also extends to the Goalkeeper of the Year category, where Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali failed to secure a nomination.
The country equally has no representation in the Men’s Young Player of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year and Club of the Year categories.
The development comes after Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the African play-off final in November 2025.
Meanwhile, the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony is scheduled to hold at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in Lagos on December 7.
The event will recognise outstanding performances by African players, coaches and clubs during the year.
