Nigeria
will host the 2026 CAF Awards after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed Lagos as the venue for the continent’s premier football awards ceremony.
The event will take place at the newly transformed Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, bringing Africa’s leading players, coaches and football officials to Nigeria for one of the sport’s biggest annual occasions.
The announcement comes during another significant period for Nigerian football. The country is also preparing to stage the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly in October, further strengthening its role in African football administration. However, CAF has not yet confirmed the official date for the awards ceremony or the complete list of categories.
The 2026 edition marks Nigeria’s first time hosting the CAF Awards in almost a decade. The country’s previous hosting came with the 2016 awards ceremony, staged in Abuja in January 2017, where Riyad Mahrez claimed the Men’s Player of the Year prize while Asisat Oshoala won the Women’s Player of the Year award.
The CAF Awards celebrate excellence across African football each year. The ceremony recognises outstanding achievements by players, coaches, clubs and national teams in both men’s and women’s football. Expected honours include Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Coach of the Year, Young Player of the Year and several club and national team awards, subject to CAF’s final confirmation.
