Africa: CAF Awards - Osimhen, Lookman Missing As Nigeria Gets Zero Nominations in Men's Categories

What the report says

Nigeria has been left out of all seven men’s categories in the 2026 Confederation of African Football Awards, according to Premium Times’ report distributed by AllAfrica. The shortlists released by CAF on Wednesday did not include any Nigerian player, goalkeeper, coach, club or national team, a notable reversal for a country that produced the last two winners of the Men’s Player of the Year prize.

The report said Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, who won the award in 2023 and 2024 respectively, were both absent from the 10-man 2026 shortlist. It also noted that Super Eagles goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Maduka Okoye were not nominated, and that national team coach Eric Chelle did not make the coaching list. Nigeria likewise had no entry in the club category or the men’s national team category.

By contrast, the nominees include players and teams from several other African football nations, such as Senegal, Morocco, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo and South Africa. The article also places Nigeria’s absence in the context of its failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which ended with a playoff loss to DR Congo in November 2025.

The 2026 CAF Awards ceremony is scheduled for Lagos on 7 December. The report says Nigeria still has some representation in the women’s categories, though fewer than in past years, and it recalls the country’s broader football history, including multiple Africa Cup of Nations titles and several former African Footballer of the Year winners.