CAF Reschedules 2026 Awards Ceremony to December 2 in Lagos

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rescheduled the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony to Wednesday, December 2, from its earlier date of Monday, December 7.

The prestigious event will take place at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, formerly known as the National Theatre, in Lagos, Nigeria, marking the country’s return as host of the awards for the first time since 2014.

The ceremony, scheduled to begin at 7 pm local time, will feature awards across 18 categories, including the flagship CAF Men’s Player of the Year and CAF Women’s Player of the Year.

The awards recognise outstanding players, coaches, officials and national teams for their achievements during the year under review and are expected to attract prominent figures in African and international football, including representatives of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).

Ahead of the event, Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had pledged the state government’s full support for a successful hosting of the ceremony.

Mr Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance in October while receiving a CAF delegation led by the Project Lead for the CAF Awards and CAF General Assembly, Mr Christian Emeruwa, during a courtesy visit to Lagos House, Marina.

The governor said arrangements covering security, logistics, branding and venue access would receive the necessary attention, adding that Lagos was committed to providing a positive experience for CAF officials, football stakeholders and international visitors.

He also described Lagos as a major commercial, cultural, entertainment and technology hub in Africa, noting that hosting the event would provide an opportunity to showcase the state’s hospitality and capacity to organise major international engagements.

Speaking during the visit, Mr Emeruwa said the CAF delegation was in Nigeria for a five-day mission to inspect proposed venues and assess preparations for the CAF Awards in Lagos and the CAF General Assembly in Abuja.

Meanwhile, Nigerian players have been shortlisted in some categories of the 2026 CAF Women’s Awards.

Edo Queens goalkeeper Christiana Uzoma was nominated for the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award, while Nigerian forward Janet Akekoromowei and FC Robo Queens’ Oluwakemi Adegbuyi, who was part of the triumphant U-17 World Cup winners, are in contention for the Women’s Young Player of the Year prize.

Uzoma is Nigeria’s only nominee in the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year category, while three-time winner Chiamaka Nnadozie, who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion, was omitted from the shortlist.

The 17-year-old Uzoma was part of the Falconets squad that reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. She made several crucial saves during the tournament, including six in Nigeria’s 3-0 round-of-16 victory over England, in which she also saved a penalty.

However, for the first time in the history of the CAF Awards, no Nigerian player was nominated for the Women’s Player of the Year category.

Nigerian players have won the award 13 times across its 18 editions, with former Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala leading the country’s tally with six titles. Perpetua Nkwocha has won it four times, Cynthia Uwak twice, while former Nigeria captain Mercy Akide has one title.