Nigeria Secures Right to Host 2026 CAF Awards

President Bola Tinubu has approved Nigeria’s bid to host the 2026 Confederation of African Football Awards and the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly.

The approval came during the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, following a meeting between Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe. Nigerian officials present at the meeting included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Gusau, former NFF President Amaju Pinnick, and CAF acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.

The 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly is scheduled to take place in October this year. The event traditionally brings together presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions, and senior football officials from across the continent.

The CAF Awards ceremony remains African football’s premier event, celebrating the continent’s top performers.

The most recent CAF Awards ceremony was held in Rabat, Morocco, on November 19, 2025, where the host nation dominated several major categories. Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi succeeded Ademola Lookman as African men’s Player of the Year after helping Paris Saint-Germain win the UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1 title. Hakimi became the first Moroccan player to win the award since Mustapha Hadji in 1998, finishing ahead of Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen.

Morocco also claimed other major honours, with Yassine Bounou winning Goalkeeper of the Year, Othmane Maamma named Young Player of the Year, and Ghizlane Chebbak emerging as Women’s Player of the Year.

Nigeria maintained a strong presence in the women’s categories. Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie successfully defended her Goalkeeper of the Year crown, while Nigeria’s women’s national team won National Team of the Year.

Nigeria has previously hosted the CAF Awards on four occasions, with Lagos staging the most recent edition in January 2015. At that ceremony held at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre, Ivory Coast legend Yaya Touré won his fourth consecutive African Player of the Year award.

Nigeria’s Vincent Enyeama finished among the final three nominees after an outstanding season with Lille. The 2015 ceremony also marked the beginning of Asisat Oshoala’s dominance, as the Nigerian forward won her first Women’s Player of the Year award on home soil before extending it to a historic six titles.