Hakimi, Mané and Semenyo headline the list as Nigeria’s last two winners are left out, and no Nigerian player is nominated in either the men’s or women’s Player of the Year race.
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Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman have been left off the 10-man shortlist for the 2026 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award. The Confederation of African Football released the nominees on Wednesday, November 4, and the omission of both Super Eagles stars has surprised many Nigerian fans.
The decision is hard to explain on the face of it, because both players made a big impact at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where Nigeria finished third. Lookman scored three goals and set up four more in six appearances, and he earned a place in the tournament’s Team of the Tournament.
Osimhen was just as influential. He ended the competition as Nigeria’s top scorer with four goals and two assists.
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Who Made The List
Senegal and Morocco dominate the shortlist with three nominees each. Sadio Mané, Ismaïla Sarr and Pape Gueye represent Senegal, while Achraf Hakimi, Brahim DÃaz and Ismaël Saibari fly the flag for Morocco.
The other four places go to Côte d’Ivoire’s Amad Diallo, DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa, Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo and South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena. Hakimi arrives as the reigning winner after taking the 2025 award, and Mané is a former winner.
The club lines are just as varied. Hakimi plays for Paris Saint-Germain, Mané for Al-Nassr, Sarr for Crystal Palace, Gueye for Villarreal, Amad for Manchester United, Wissa for Newcastle and Semenyo for Manchester City. Mokoena, who plays for Mamelodi Sundowns, is the only nominee based in Africa, and readers can find this week’s Bet9ja offer on our site.
A Striking Reversal For Nigeria
The omission is a sharp turnaround for Nigerian football. Osimhen won the award in 2023 and Lookman followed in 2024, which gave Nigeria two straight winners before Hakimi took the 2025 prize.
Premium Times reports that Nigeria has no nominees at all in the men’s categories. Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle also missed out on the Men’s Coach of the Year shortlist, and none of the 10 Young Player of the Year nominees is Nigerian. Egypt’s Mohamed Salah was left off the Player of the Year list as well.
Nigeria does have representation on the women’s side. The Super Falcons are nominated for Women’s National Team of the Year, goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma is up for Goalkeeper of the Year, and Janet Akekoromowei and Oluwakemi Adegbuyi are on the Young Player shortlist. Anyone new to betting can read about Bet9ja promotion code explained before the weekend.
The timing adds to the sting. The awards ceremony takes place on Monday, December 7, in Lagos, so Nigeria will host the continent’s best players without a single man in the main race.
Osimhen and Lookman will have plenty of chances to respond on the pitch. Chelle has yet to name his squad for the Tanzania qualifiers, and the Super Eagles will hope to have both forwards available.
📌 Did You Know?
- Osimhen won the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award in 2023, Lookman won it in 2024, and Hakimi won it in 2025.
- The 2026 CAF Awards ceremony takes place on Monday, December 7, in Lagos.
- Mohamed Salah is also missing from this year’s Men’s Player of the Year shortlist.
- Sadio Mané is a former winner of the award.
- Teboho Mokoena of Mamelodi Sundowns is the only nominee who plays his club football in Africa.
