Lagos, Nigeria, is set to host Africa’s biggest football personalities on December 2, 2026, as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) prepares for the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony.
The prestigious event, which celebrates outstanding achievements in African football, will bring together the continent’s finest players, coaches, clubs and national teams for an evening of recognition and celebration.
The ceremony will commence at 7:00 pm Nigerian time (8:00 pm Cairo time and 6:00 pm GMT) at the iconic Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, popularly known as the National Theatre, Lagos.
The return of the CAF Awards to Lagos marks the first time Nigeria’s commercial capital will host the prestigious ceremony since the 2014 edition.
The 2026 ceremony is expected to combine football excellence with Africa’s rich cultural heritage, music and entertainment, providing a platform to celebrate individuals and teams that have made remarkable contributions to the development of the game across the continent.
CAF Awards 2026: 18 Categories to Be Recognised
The CAF Awards 2026 will recognise excellence across 18 categories, with the CAF Men’s Player of the Year and CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards expected to attract significant attention.
Other categories will celebrate outstanding performances by coaches, goalkeepers, emerging talents, clubs and national teams.
The awards recognise the contributions of individuals and teams whose performances have inspired football supporters across Africa and beyond.
CAF Awards 2026 Voting Underway
Meanwhile, voting for the 2026 CAF Awards is currently underway, with the exercise scheduled to run from November 5 to November 20 across the men’s and women’s categories.
CAF Member Associations and clubs are participating in the voting process, while eligible coaches and national team captains have also been encouraged to cast their votes in recognition of the year’s outstanding performers.
According to the voting framework, the process is designed to ensure broad representation across African football, fairness and transparency in determining the winners.
Independent monitoring will also be implemented to safeguard the credibility and integrity of the selection process.
With Lagos preparing to welcome Africa’s football community, the December 2 ceremony promises to be a major celebration of the players, coaches and teams whose achievements have shaped African football in 2026.
