CAF Awards 2026: Real Madrid prospect Yan Diomande among contenders for young player prize

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the nominees for its 2026 Young Player of the Year award, with four Arab players included on a shortlist headed by Moroccan Ayoub Bouaddi of Manchester City.

Bouaddi is joined by Egypt’s Hamza Abdelkarim, who plays for Barcelona, Morocco’s Abdellah Ouazane of Ajax, and Algeria international Ibrahim Maza, the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder.

The quartet will face competition from several of Africa’s leading emerging talents, including Yan Diomande of Real Madrid and Cote d’Ivoire. The Real Madrid player is regarded as one of the prominent names in the 2026 nominations.

The shortlist also features Bayer Leverkusen and Cameroon player Christian Kofane, as well as Cote d’Ivoire international Christ Inao of Fiorentina.

Ghana’s Caleb Yirenkyi, who plays for Coventry City, is another nominee.

The remaining candidates are Ismail Kamissoko of Etoile Mande and Mali, and Ibrahim Mbaye of Aston Villa and Senegal.

The award forms part of the CAF Awards, with the young player prize recognising emerging footballers from across the continent.