The Confederation of African Football has postponed the 2026 CAF Awards event to Wednesday, December 2, in Lagos.
The event, previously planned for December 7, is set to start at 7 pm local time.
The event will take place at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, previously called the National Theatre, in Lagos.
CAF states that the awards will unite the continent’s top players, coaches, and teams to honor their accomplishments in African football from the past year.
“The revised date, 2 December 2026, moves forward one of the most esteemed events in the African sports calendar, as the continent’s top players, coaches, and teams come together in Lagos for a dazzling tribute to the accomplishments that have marked another exceptional year for African football,” the announcement stated.
The awards are set to return to Lagos for the first time since the 2014 edition, with CAF stating that the city will offer an appropriate backdrop for celebrating African football, culture, music, and entertainment.
The 2026 edition will honor exceptional achievements in 18 categories, featuring the CAF Men’s Player of the Year and CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards.
Additional categories will acknowledge coaches, goalkeepers, rising talents, clubs, and national squads.
CAF announced that the voting for the awards is currently underway and will take place from November 5 to 20 in boththe men’s and women’s categories.
“The voting procedure includes CAF Member Associations and clubs, with qualified coaches and captains urged to submit their votes directly to acknowledge the exceptional performers of the year,” the statement continued.
CAF stated that the procedure aimed to guarantee extensive representation, equity, and transparency, with independent oversight to safeguard the validity of the outcomes.
The shift in date follows CAF’s announcement of Lagos as the host city for the ceremony in October, which was originally set for December 7.
The return to Lagos signifies the first occasion the city will hold the awards since 2014. Earlier editions also took place there in 2008 and 2013.
In the 2014 edition held on January 8, 2015, former Ivory Coast captain Yaya Toure claimed the Men’s Player of the Year award for an unprecedented fourth consecutive time, while Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala secured the Women’s Player of the Year title.
In the meantime, Nigeria will lack representation in the CAF Men’s Player of the Year competition after the nation was left out of the 10-person shortlist published on November 4.
The Super Eagles did not receive nominations in the other six men’s categories, and the Super Falcons were overlooked for the top women’s awards.
