Hosts for 2026 CAF Awards announced

Nigeria has been confirmed as the host of the 2026 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards following approval from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Download our Mozzart Sport app for more news

The announcement was made during the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi after a meeting between CAF president Patrice Motsepe and the Nigerian delegation.

According to a statement released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Tinubu approved Nigeria’s bid to host both the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly and the CAF Awards ceremony scheduled for October 2026.

Kakuma-born midfielder explains life in South Sudan after clinching treble

The meeting in Nairobi was attended by Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; NFF president Ibrahim Musa Gusau; former NFF president and CAF special adviser Amaju Melvin Pinnick; and CAF acting general secretary Samson Adamu.

“The President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has approved Nigeria’s proposed hosting of the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football, as well as this year’s CAF Awards Ceremony,” the NFF statement read.

The CAF Ordinary General Assembly is one of the most significant gatherings in African football, bringing together presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives from the six zonal unions and top football administrators from across the continent.

The CAF Awards ceremony remains African football’s flagship gala, celebrating the continent’s best players, coaches, teams and officials in a glamorous end-of-year event.

The most recent edition of the awards was staged in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday, 18 November 2025, with the North African nation dominating several major categories.

Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi was crowned African Men’s Player of the Year after helping Paris Saint-Germain win both the UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1 titles.

Hakimi became the first Moroccan player to win the award since Mustapha Hadji in 1998, finishing ahead of Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen.

Morocco also celebrated victories in other categories, with Yassine Bounou named Goalkeeper of the Year, Othmane Maamma winning Young Player of the Year and Ghizlane Chebbak taking home the Women’s Player of the Year award following her impressive performances at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Nigeria also maintained a strong presence in the women’s categories. Chiamaka Nnadozie successfully defended her Goalkeeper of the Year title, while the Nigeria women's national football team were named National Team of the Year after another dominant campaign.

Date set for FKF Premier League end of season Awards Gala

Nigeria has a rich history of hosting the CAF Awards, having staged the event on four previous occasions. The most recent was held in Lagos in January 2015.

During that ceremony, Ivory Coast legend Yaya Touré won his fourth consecutive African Player of the Year award, equalling the record set by Samuel Eto'o.

Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was among the final three nominees after an outstanding campaign with Lille OSC, but finished behind Touré and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The 2015 edition also marked the start of Asisat Oshoala’s dominance in African women’s football, as she won her first Women’s Player of the Year award on home soil before eventually extending her tally to a record six titles.