The Confederation of African Football has brought forward the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony by five days, confirming Wednesday, December 2, as the new date for the continental football celebration in Lagos, Nigeria. The event, initially scheduled for December 7, will take place at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, popularly known as the National Theatre, with proceedings beginning at 7pm Nigerian time. According to CAF’s official announcement and TheCable report, the ceremony will bring together leading African footballers, coaches, clubs, national teams and administrators to recognise achievements across the continent. The revised date places Nigeria at the centre of one of African football’s major annual gatherings.
The 2026 edition will recognise excellence across 18 categories, headlined by the Men’s Player of the Year and Women’s Player of the Year awards. Other honours will celebrate outstanding performances by coaches, goalkeepers, emerging players, clubs and national teams, alongside awards for match officials. Voting opened on November 5 and will close on November 20, with CAF Member Associations and clubs participating alongside eligible national team coaches and captains. The governing body has also stated that independent monitoring will support the process, with the aim of ensuring transparency and broad representation across African football.
For Nigeria, hosting the ceremony marks a significant return to the continental awards spotlight. Lagos last hosted the CAF Awards in 2014, making the December gathering its first return in 12 years. The country will welcome the continent’s leading football personalities at a time when its own representation in the nominations has attracted attention. While no Nigerian player features on the Men’s or Women’s Player of the Year shortlists, young talents and other representatives from the country remain in contention in selected categories. Beyond the awards themselves, the event offers Lagos an opportunity to showcase its hospitality, cultural influence and capacity to host major international sporting occasions. With the date now confirmed, attention turns to the conclusion of voting and the announcement of this year’s winners.
