CAF unveiled the final shortlist for the 2026 African Player of the Year award on Wednesday, with 10 players included. Morocco and Senegal each have three nominees, while Mohamed Salah of Trabzonspor is not on the list.
Morocco supply three nominees
The Moroccan trio is Paris Saint-Germain's Achraf Hakimi, Real Madrid winger Brahim Diaz and Bayern Munich forward Ismael Saibari.
Senegal also have three players
Senegal's nominees are Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr, Villarreal's Pape Gueye and Al-Nassr star Sadio Mane.
Other names and ceremony date
The shortlist also includes Ivorian Amad Diallo of Manchester United, Congolese forward Yoane Wissa of Newcastle United, Ghana's Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City and South Africa's Thabo Mokoena of Sundowns. CAF will stage the 2026 awards ceremony on Monday 7 December in the Nigerian city of Lagos. Hakimi was crowned 2025 African Player of the Year in Rabat on 19 November.
