CAF Awards 2026: Hakimi leads Morocco’s star-studded list of nominees

Morocco will have a strong presence at the 2026 CAF Awards, with Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari among the leading contenders for individual honours when the ceremony takes place in Lagos, Nigeria, on December 2.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rescheduled the awards ceremony, which was initially planned for December 7, bringing together the continent’s leading football figures to celebrate achievements across 18 categories.

The event will be held at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, also known as the National Theatre, with proceedings scheduled to begin at 7pm local time (6pm GMT).

Defending African Player of the Year Hakimi will headline Morocco’s nominations as he seeks to retain his crown, while Real Madrid forward Diaz and Bayern Munich midfielder Saibari are also in contention for the continent’s most prestigious individual football honour.

Morocco’s representation extends beyond the men’s individual awards, with several players, coaches, clubs and national teams shortlisted across both men’s and women’s football.

18 categories to recognise African football achievements

The 2026 CAF Awards will feature seven men’s categories, seven women’s categories and four distinctions for match officials.

The men’s awards cover Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, National Team of the Year and Club of the Year.

The women’s programme follows the same structure, while the remaining four awards recognise men’s and women’s referees and assistant referees.

Hakimi leads Morocco’s challenge for Men’s Player of the Year

The Men’s Player of the Year category is expected to attract considerable attention, particularly from Moroccan supporters, with Hakimi aiming to defend the award he won in 2025.

The Paris Saint-Germain defender faces competition from nine other nominees, including Senegal’s Sadio Mané, Pape Gueye and Ismaila Sarr, Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo and Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo.

Morocco also has Diaz and Saibari among the shortlisted players, giving the country three representatives in the category.

While Hakimi enters the contest as the defending champion, Diaz and Saibari will be hoping their performances for club and country earn them their first African Player of the Year awards.

Morocco also has two nominees in the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year category, with Yassine Bounou of Al Hilal and Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti of AS FAR both making the shortlist.

They will compete against several established African goalkeepers, including Senegal’s Edouard Mendy and South Africa’s Ronwen Williams.

AS FAR, Berkane and Olympic Safi feature in club awards

Morocco’s domestic clubs also have a notable presence in the interclub categories.

Mohamed Rabie Hrimat of AS FAR, Mounir Chouiar of RS Berkane and Sofiane El Moudane of Olympic Safi are all nominated for Men’s Interclub Player of the Year.

Hrimat helped AS FAR reach the CAF Champions League final, while El Moudane finished among the leading scorers in the CAF Confederation Cup with four goals.

The country’s emerging talents are also represented, with Abdellah Ouazane of Ajax and Ayoub Bouaddi of Manchester City shortlisted for Men’s Young Player of the Year.

The Moroccan duo will face eight other nominees, including Algeria’s Ibrahim Maza and Cameroon’s Christian Kofane.

In the coaching category, Morocco has two representatives in Mohamed Ouahbi and Walid Regragui.

Former AS FAR coach Alexandre Santos is also nominated, giving the Moroccan club another connection to the category, although the Portuguese tactician is not Moroccan.

At team level, Morocco’s men’s national team has been nominated for National Team of the Year.

AS FAR, RS Berkane and Olympic Safi are also competing for Men’s Club of the Year following their performances in CAF’s continental competitions.

Atlas Lionesses strengthen Morocco’s presence in women’s football

Morocco’s influence at the awards extends to the women’s categories, where the Atlas Lionesses have several representatives.

Hanane Ait El Haj, who plays for Deportivo Alavés, is nominated for Women’s Player of the Year, while AS FAR goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi is among the contenders for Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.

Barcelona’s Kautar Azraf has also earned a nomination for Women’s Young Player of the Year.

Meanwhile, Morocco’s women’s national team is shortlisted for Women’s National Team of the Year, further highlighting the country’s growing presence in African women’s football.

However, nominees for three categories — Women’s Interclub Player of the Year, Women’s Coach of the Year and Women’s Club of the Year — are yet to be confirmed.

CAF explained that the remaining nominations would be announced after the conclusion of the CAF Women’s Champions League in Egypt, allowing performances in the competition to be considered.

The outcome could provide additional opportunities for Moroccan players and clubs to feature among the award contenders.

Officiating categories await confirmed nominees

The four remaining distinctions will recognise achievements among match officials.

They comprise Men’s Referee of the Year, Men’s Assistant Referee of the Year, Women’s Referee of the Year and Women’s Assistant Referee of the Year.

However, CAF’s published nomination announcements have not yet provided confirmed shortlists for these categories, meaning Morocco’s potential representation remains unknown.

Voting process and ceremony date

The voting process for the 2026 CAF Awards runs from November 5 to 20.

CAF member associations and clubs will participate in the process, alongside eligible coaches and national team captains.

The governing body has also announced independent monitoring to ensure the integrity and transparency of the voting process.

The winners will be announced at the ceremony in Lagos on December 2, with the event scheduled to begin at 7pm local time.

For Morocco, the ceremony represents an opportunity to secure recognition across several areas of African football.

Hakimi’s attempt to retain his continental crown, the presence of emerging talents such as Ouazane and Bouaddi, and the nominations involving the Atlas Lionesses and Moroccan clubs will make the country one of the key contenders for honours at this year’s ceremony.