Lagos to Host CAF Awards 2026 as Date Changes

Lagos will once again be in the spotlight for African football. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the CAF Awards ceremony will now take place on 2 December 2026. This is a change from the earlier date of 7 December.

CAF moved the event five days earlier, but they did not explain why this change happened. The ceremony will kick off at 7 p.m. Nigerian time. Africa's best players, coaches, clubs, and national teams are expected to gather in Nigeria's biggest city for a night to remember in the sports calendar.

This 2026 edition is special as it returns to Lagos for the first time since 2014. It gives the city another chance to show its role in African football and entertainment.

The event will be held at the famous Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, which many know as the National Theatre. Here, the amazing achievements of African football stars will be celebrated alongside the rich culture, music, and entertainment from the continent.

Eighteen different award categories will be presented at the ceremony. The CAF Men’s Player of the Year and CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards are expected to draw the most attention.

Along with these top individual awards, CAF will also recognize the contributions of coaches, goalkeepers, rising talents, clubs, and national teams that have made a mark in football over the past year.

The voting for the 2026 CAF Awards is already in progress. It started on 5 November and will end on 20 November for both men’s and women’s categories.

CAF Member Associations and clubs are part of the voting process. Coaches and national team captains can also submit their votes for players and teams they think have excelled during the year.

This voting system aims to represent different levels of African football. It also promotes fairness and transparency in choosing the winners.

CAF has set up independent monitoring to ensure the results are fair and trustworthy.

As the countdown to 2 December begins, Lagos is getting ready to welcome the football community for a celebration of stars, stories, and achievements in another exciting year for African football.