November 5, 2026
Today, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the list of nominees for the Best in the Continent Awards for the year 2026, which witnessed a remarkable Moroccan presence and a notable absence of Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.
The names of ten players competed for the Best African Player award, led by Moroccan Achraf Hakimi, Paris Saint-Germain defender and holder of the last edition’s title, along with his compatriots Ibrahim Diaz, Real Madrid star, and Ismail Saibari, Bayern Munich player.
The list also included Senegalese Sadio Mane, the Saudi Al-Nasr striker, and his compatriots Ismaila Sarr and Pape Gueye, in addition to Ghanaian Antoine Semenyo, Ivorian Amad Diallo, Congolese Yoan Wissa, and South African Teboho Mokoena. The exclusion of Egyptian star Mohamed Salah was a big surprise, given his constant presence in the competition for continental awards during previous years.
In the goalkeeping category, Moroccan international Yassine Bounou, the Saudi Al Hilal goalkeeper, was on the list of candidates for the best goalkeeper, along with Senegalese Edouard Mendy, and the Egyptian duo Mustafa Schubert and Mehdi Suleiman.
On the training level, the Egyptian Hossam Hassan, the coach of the Egyptian national team, and his compatriot Motamed Gamal, competed for the best coach award, along with the two Moroccan coaches, Walid Al-Ragraki and Mohamed Wehbe.
The Confederation of African Football Awards ceremony is scheduled to be held in the Nigerian capital, Lagos, on December 7, to reveal the winners in the various categories.
