Morocco teenagers Ayyoub Bouaddi and Abdellah Ouazane nominated for 2026 CAF Young Player of the Year

Moroccan youngsters Ayyoub Bouaddi and Abdellah Ouazane have been shortlisted for the 2026 CAF Men’s Young Player of the Year award after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced its ten nominees on Wednesday.

The duo will compete for the continental honour alongside Algeria’s Ibrahim Maza, Cameroon’s Christian Kofane, Côte d’Ivoire’s Yan Diomande and Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye.

Bouaddi earns nomination after breakthrough year

Bouaddi’s nomination follows an eventful year in which he established himself in Morocco’s senior national team and secured a major transfer to Manchester City.

The midfielder also played an important role in the Atlas Lions’ campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Morocco reached the quarter-finals.

Ouazane targets second consecutive nomination

Ouazane, meanwhile, is competing for the award for a second consecutive year.

The 17-year-old Ajax midfielder was among the three finalists in 2025 after helping Morocco win their first U-17 Africa Cup of Nations title.

He was also named Player of the Tournament in recognition of his performances during the competition.

Morocco eye another CAF young player award

The two nominations give Morocco an opportunity to retain the award, which was won by Othmane Maamma last year.

Maamma received the honour after being named the tournament’s best player during Morocco’s historic FIFA U-20 World Cup triumph in Chile, where the young Atlas Lions defeated Argentina 2-0 in the final.

The winner of the 2026 CAF Men’s Young Player of the Year award will be announced at the CAF Awards ceremony on December 7 in Lagos, Nigeria.