CAF and the NFF have set the CAF Awards 2026 for Monday 7 December in Lagos, where the successor to Achraf Hakimi, African Player of the Year 2025, will be crowned. Sadio Mané and Ismaïla Sarr are among the leading contenders.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have fixed the CAF Awards 2026 ceremony for Monday 7 December 2026 in Lagos, according to Afrik-Foot.
The evening will be held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, in the Nigerian metropolis. It is the first time Nigeria has hosted the prestigious CAF Awards ceremony since the 2015 edition.
Fifteen envoys on the case
An inspection delegation of fifteen CAF representatives, led by head of security Christian Emeruwa, has begun its second visit to the infrastructure. The mission was officially received in Abuja by Shehu Dikko, chairman of the National Sports Commission of Nigeria.
The NFF confirmed that the development works and the security arrangements have received the technical green light from the CAF envoys. For the Nigerian federation, the preparatory side of hosting has therefore cleared this inspection stage.
Abuja to host the General Assembly
Before the festivities in Lagos, the Nigerian capital will host the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly on 21 November 2026, at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.
Nigeria will therefore host two CAF events in a little over two weeks, the General Assembly in Abuja and then the CAF Awards ceremony in Lagos.
Hakimi, Mané, Gueye and Sarr in the running
The men’s African Ballon d’Or will reward the successor to Achraf Hakimi, crowned African Player of the Year in 2025. Among the leading contenders for the 2026 title are Achraf Hakimi, Sadio Mané, Pape Gueye and Ismaïla Sarr, according to Afrik-Foot. These names are cited as contenders, not as an official list of nominees.
Ismaïla Sarr boasts a record marked by winning the UEFA Europa Conference League, where he was top scorer and MVP, as well as strong performances for his national team. The trophy will be presented at the official ceremony on Monday 7 December 2026 in Lagos.