CAF has unveiled the ten candidates for the 2026 African club of the year title. USM Alger, winners of the Algerian Cup and the Confederation Cup this season, are on the list alongside Mamelodi Sundowns, Zamalek and Espérance de Tunis.
The Confederation of African Football has published the list of ten clubs in the running for the 2026 African club of the year title, Foot-Africa.com reports.
USM Alger are on it, carried by a 2025-2026 season marked by two finals won: a 2-1 victory in the Algerian Cup final against CR Belouizdad, then a Confederation Cup success against Zamalek, after a 1-1 draw and a penalty shootout won 8-7.
A list dominated by the Maghreb
Algeria has two clubs nominated and Morocco three, while DR Congo, Egypt, South Africa, Sudan and Tunisia each have one candidate, according to Foot-Africa.com. Besides USM Alger, CR Belouizdad represent Algeria. Morocco are represented by AS FAR, RS Berkane and Olympique Club Safi. DR Congo line up AS Maniema Union, Egypt Zamalek, South Africa Mamelodi Sundowns, Sudan Al Hilal SC and Tunisia Espérance de Tunis.
Among these ten clubs, four won at least one trophy in 2025-2026: USM Alger, Zamalek, Mamelodi Sundowns and Espérance de Tunis.
Sundowns, Zamalek and Espérance de Tunis
Mamelodi Sundowns won the CAF Champions League by beating AS FAR 2-1 on aggregate, claiming their second continental crown after 2016. Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso is also nominated for the coach of the year title, according to All Football, after reaching his third consecutive Champions League final, lost in 2024 with Espérance and in 2025 with Sundowns before the 2026 triumph.
Zamalek finished Egyptian champions for the 15th time in their history and reached the Confederation Cup final, where they lost to USM Alger. Espérance de Tunis, for their part, won the Tunisian Cup by beating ES Zarzis 1-0, their 17th title in the competition and a second in a row, after already adding the Tunisian Super Cup at the start of the season.
AS FAR, beaten in the Champions League final by Sundowns, are also among the nominees, as are RS Berkane.
On to Lagos on 7 December
The CAF Awards ceremony will be held on 7 December 2026 in Lagos. Until then, the ten nominated clubs continue their season. In the coach of the year category, Miguel Cardoso is among the candidates.