Mohamed Ouahbi and Walid Regragui nominated for 2026 CAF Coach of the Year award

Moroccan coaches Mohamed Ouahbi and Walid Regragui have been shortlisted for the 2026 CAF Men’s Coach of the Year award after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced its ten nominees on Wednesday.

The two coaches will compete for the continental honour alongside Senegal’s Pape Thiaw, Egypt’s Hossam Hassan, DR Congo’s Sébastien Desabre and Cabo Verde’s Bubista, who won the award in 2025.

Portuguese manager Alexandre Santos, who coaches Moroccan club AS FAR, is also among the nominees.

Ouahbi recognised after success with Morocco

Ouahbi’s nomination follows a successful period with Morocco at both youth and senior international levels.

In October 2025, he guided the Moroccan U-20 national team to its first FIFA World Cup title in Chile, where the Atlas Cubs defeated Argentina 2-0 in the final.

He was appointed head coach of the senior Atlas Lions in March 2026, just three months before the FIFA World Cup in North America.

Despite the limited preparation time, Ouahbi led Morocco to the quarter-finals, where their campaign ended with a 2-0 defeat to France.

Regragui nominated despite leaving Morocco post

Regragui has also earned a place on the shortlist despite leaving his position as Morocco head coach earlier this year.

The 50-year-old ended his three-and-a-half-year spell in charge in March, having guided the Atlas Lions to their historic semi-final appearance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

His final major tournament with the national team was the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, held in Morocco in January 2026, where he led the side to the final against Senegal.

The final’s outcome remains subject to an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), after CAF overturned Senegal’s on-field victory and awarded Morocco a 3-0 win. A ruling is expected by the end of November.

CAF Awards ceremony scheduled for December

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