Ten players, three of them Moroccan and three Senegalese, are in the running to be named Africa's best footballer of 2026. The Confederation of African Football published its men's nominations on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, ahead of the awards ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday, 7 December. Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi heads the list as the reigning winner, and the Saudi Pro League has three stars across the player and goalkeeper categories.
- Player of the Year: Hakimi is joined by fellow Moroccans Brahim Diaz of Real Madrid and Ismael Saibari of Bayern Munich, by Senegal's Sadio Mane of Al-Nassr, Ismaila Sarr and Pape Gueye, and by Antoine Semenyo (Ghana), Amad Diallo (Cote d'Ivoire), Yoane Wissa (DR Congo) and Teboho Mokoena (South Africa), the only nominee playing on the continent.
- Mohamed Salah: the Egypt forward does not appear among this year's ten Player of the Year nominees.
- Goalkeeper of the Year: Al-Hilal's Yassine Bounou is chasing a third win after his 2023 and 2025 awards. His nine rivals include Senegal's Edouard Mendy of Al-Ahli, Egypt's Mostafa Shobeir and El-Mahdi Soliman, and Morocco's Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti.
- Coach of the Year: Morocco have two names on the list, Mohamed Ouahbi and Walid Regragui, alongside Senegal's Pape Thiaw, Egypt's Hossam Hassan, Cabo Verde's Bubista and Mamelodi Sundowns' Miguel Cardoso.
- National Team of the Year: Morocco, Egypt, Senegal, Algeria and Tunisia are among the ten teams nominated.
Hakimi won the 2025 award after a season in which he lifted the UEFA Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, and he goes into this year's race defending that crown.
Source: Confederation of African Football, Kawowo Sports, Africa Soccer
