No Nigerian footballer, including Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen, has been nominated for the 2026 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced a 10-man shortlist on Wednesday via its official X account, featuring players from nine African countries.

Senegal’s Sadio Mané, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo are among the leading names on the list, alongside seven other nominees.

The absence of Nigerian players marks a notable development for the country, which has regularly had representatives in the prestigious individual award category.

Nigeria’s omission follows the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after they lost to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the African play-off final in November 2025.

The match ended 1-1 after extra time, before DR Congo secured a 4-3 penalty shootout win to book their place in the intercontinental play-offs.

However, Nigeria finished third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which ran from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.

The announcement follows the unveiling of the women’s categories, where no Super Falcons player made the shortlist for Women’s Player of the Year, although Nigeria was nominated for Women’s National Team of the Year.

Men’s Player of the Year nominees

Amad Diallo – Ivory Coast

Yoane Wissa – DR Congo

Antoine Semenyo – Ghana

Ismael Saibari – Morocco

Achraf Hakimi – Morocco

Brahim Diaz – Morocco

Ismaila Sarr – Senegal

Pape Gueye – Senegal

Sadio Mané – Senegal

Teboho Mokoena – South Africa

CAF also announced nominees for the Men’s Young Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, National Team of the Year, Club of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.

The nominees for Men’s Young Player of the Year are Ibrahim Maza, Christian Kofane, Christ Inao, Yan Diomande, Hamza Abdelkarim, Caleb Yirenkyi, Ismaël Kamissoko, Abdellah Ouazane, Ayoub Bouaddi and Ibrahim Mbaye.

For the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award, the nominees are Oussama Benbot (Algeria), Vozinha (Cabo Verde), Yahia Fofana (Ivory Coast), Lionel Mpasi (DR Congo), El Mahdy Soliman and Mostafa Shobeir (Egypt), Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti and Yassine Bounou (Morocco), Édouard Mendy (Senegal) and Ronwen Williams (South Africa).

The Men’s National Team of the Year shortlist includes Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. (The Nation)