The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has brought forward the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony by five days, moving the event from December 7 to December 2 in Lagos, Nigeria.
CAF announced the revised date on Tuesday, Nov. 10, while retaining the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, formerly known as the National Theatre, as the venue.
The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. Nigerian time and is expected to bring together leading African footballers, coaches, club officials, administrators and other stakeholders to celebrate outstanding achievements in the sport.
CAF did not provide an official explanation for the change. However, a report by The Guardian Nigeria, citing a CAF official, suggested that concerns over the availability of players whose European clubs might be reluctant to release them for the original date influenced the decision.
The 2026 edition will recognise achievements across 18 categories, including the prestigious Men’s Player of the Year and Women’s Player of the Year awards. Other categories cover coaches, goalkeepers, young players, clubs and national teams.
Voting for the awards opened on Nov. 5 and will run until Nov. 20. CAF said the process involves its member associations and clubs, with eligible coaches and captains participating in selecting the winners. Independent monitoring will also be used to safeguard the integrity of the process.
The change comes after CAF unveiled its nominees across several categories earlier in November. Notable names in the men’s Player of the Year race include Senegal’s Sadio Mane and Ismaila Sarr, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz, and Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo.
Nigeria has secured nominations in some categories, including the Young Player of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year awards. However, no Nigerian was included in the men’s or women’s Player of the Year shortlists.
The awards will return to Lagos for the first time since 2014, placing Nigeria at the centre of the continent’s football celebrations.
The ceremony is expected to combine recognition of sporting excellence with Nigerian culture, music and entertainment as African football’s leading personalities gather in the country.
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