The Confederation of African Football has changed the date for the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony to Wednesday, December 2, in Lagos.
This event was originally set for December 7 and will kick off at 7 pm local time.
It will take place at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, which used to be called the National Theatre in Lagos.
CAF said the awards will gather the top players, coaches, and teams from across Africa to celebrate their achievements in football over the past year.
“The new date, 2 December 2026, brings forward one of the most prestigious events on the African sporting calendar, as the continent’s finest players, coaches and teams gather in Lagos for a glittering celebration of the achievements that have defined another remarkable year for African football,” according to a statement.
This marks the first time the awards will be held in Lagos since the 2014 ceremony. CAF believes the city will be a great place for celebrating African football, culture, music, and entertainment.
The 2026 edition will honor exceptional performances in 18 categories. This includes the CAF Men’s Player of the Year and CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards.
Other awards will recognize coaches, goalkeepers, emerging talents, clubs, and national teams.
CAF mentioned that voting for the awards is currently happening and will run from November 5 to 20 for both men’s and women’s categories.
“The voting process involves CAF Member Associations and clubs. Eligible coaches and captains are encouraged to vote directly for the outstanding performers of the year,” the statement added.
CAF explained that this process aims to ensure fairness, representation, and transparency, with independent monitoring to protect the results' integrity.
The change of date follows CAF’s confirmation of Lagos as the host city for the awards in October. Initially, it was scheduled for December 7.
Lagos last hosted the awards in 2014, and previous events were held there in 2008 and 2013.
At the 2014 edition, which took place on January 8, 2015, former Ivory Coast captain Yaya Toure won the Men’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time in a row. Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala took home the Women’s Player of the Year prize.
Meanwhile, Nigeria will not have a representative in the CAF Men’s Player of the Year category. The country was left out of the 10-man shortlist released on November 4.
The Super Eagles did not make the nominations for the other six men’s categories, and the Super Falcons missed out on the top women’s awards.
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