No Nigerian player, coach, club or national team makes seven-category shortlist despite Super Eagles’ recent AFCON success
Nigerian football has suffered a major setback at the 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards, with the country failing to secure a single nomination across all seven men’s categories announced by the continental football governing body.
The development marks the first time since 2015 that no Nigerian player has been shortlisted for the Men’s Player of the Year award, ending a period in which the Super Eagles had maintained a presence among Africa’s leading football talents.
Particularly striking is the omission of former African Footballer of the Year winners Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, who claimed the prestigious award in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Osimhen, who has continued his career at Galatasaray, and Lookman, now with Atletico Madrid, were both absent from the 10-man shortlist despite their profiles as two of Nigeria’s most prominent football exports.
Their exclusion comes despite Nigeria’s third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where Osimhen, Lookman and defender Calvin Bassey featured in the tournament’s Best XI.
Nigeria’s absence, however, goes far beyond the individual Player of the Year category.
The country also failed to secure representation in the 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 categories.
Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali and head coach Eric Chelle are among the notable Nigerian names missing from the respective shortlists.
There is equally no recognition for any Nigerian club, highlighting the country’s complete absence from the men’s nominations for the 2026 awards.
Meanwhile, Morocco and Senegal dominate the Men’s Player of the Year shortlist with three nominees each.
Morocco’s representatives are reigning African Player of the Year Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari, while Senegal is represented by former winner Sadio Mane, Ismaila Sarr and Pape Gueye.
The remaining nominees are Côte d’Ivoire’s Amad Diallo, DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa, Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo and South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena.
Hakimi will be seeking to retain the award he won in 2025 following another impressive year with Paris Saint-Germain and the Moroccan national team.
The wider nominations also reflect the growing influence of Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Algeria and Egypt in African club and international football.
Nigeria’s exclusion is particularly significant considering that Osimhen and Lookman delivered back-to-back Player of the Year titles for the country only two years ago.
Osimhen became Nigeria’s first winner of the award since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999, before Lookman continued the country’s success in 2024.
The latest development raises questions about Nigeria’s representation and competitiveness across different levels of African football, particularly in the development of emerging talents, domestic club competitions and national team performance.
The 2026 CAF Awards ceremony is scheduled to hold in Lagos on December 7, bringing together leading players, coaches, clubs and football administrators from across the continent.
Despite hosting the ceremony, Nigeria will have no representative in any of the seven men’s award categories.
