Morocco shortlisted for 2026 CAF Men’s National Team of the Year award

Morocco’s senior national team has been nominated for the 2026 CAF Men’s National Team of the Year award after being named among ten contenders for the continental honour.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the shortlist on Wednesday, with the Atlas Lions set to compete against Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia.

The nomination follows a memorable year for Morocco, who reached the quarter-finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Morocco make history at 2026 World Cup

Under coach Mohamed Ouahbi, Morocco finished second in Group C after drawing 1-1 with Brazil and recording victories over Scotland and Haiti.

The Atlas Lions subsequently defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout before securing a 3-0 victory over co-hosts Canada in the round of 16. Azzedine Ounahi scored twice, while Soufiane Rahimi added the third goal.

The result made Morocco the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals on two separate occasions, following their historic run to the semi-finals at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.

However, their 2026 campaign ended on July 9 after a 2-0 defeat to France in Boston, with second-half goals from Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé sending the European side through to the semi-finals.

Atlas Lions reach historic FIFA ranking position

Morocco also achieved another milestone in September when they climbed to fifth in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, equalling the highest position ever attained by an African national team.

They dropped to seventh in the October ranking but remained the highest-ranked African side.

The latest CAF nomination gives Morocco an opportunity to win the award for a second consecutive year, although their Under-20 team claimed the 2025 prize after winning the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile.

The young Atlas Lions defeated Argentina 2-0 in the final to secure the global title.

Morocco’s senior team previously won the CAF National Team of the Year award in 2023 following their historic performance at the 2022 World Cup.

CAF Awards ceremony set for Lagos

The 2026 shortlist also features other teams that participated in this year’s World Cup, including Cabo Verde, who made their tournament debut, and Egypt, who reached the round of 16 for the first time in their history.

The winners will be announced at the CAF Awards ceremony, scheduled to take place on December 7 in Lagos, Nigeria.