CAF Reschedules 2026 Awards Ceremony to December 2 in Lagos

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rescheduled the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony to Wednesday, December 2, in Lagos, moving the event five days ahead of its original date.

The ceremony, initially scheduled for December 7, will take place at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Arts, formerly known as the National Theatre, and is expected to begin at 7 p.m. Nigerian time.

CAF announced the revised date on Tuesday but did not provide an official explanation for the adjustment.

However, reports attributed to a CAF official indicated that the change was influenced by concerns over European clubs' willingness to release nominated players for the original date, which could have affected attendance at the ceremony.

The 2026 edition will mark the return of the CAF Awards to Lagos for the first time since 2014, bringing together leading African footballers, coaches, clubs and other personalities to celebrate achievements across the continent.

A total of 18 categories will be recognised, with the Men's Player of the Year and Women's Player of the Year awards expected to headline the event.

Other categories will honour outstanding coaches, goalkeepers, emerging talents, clubs and national teams for their performances during the year.

Voting for the awards commenced on November 5 and will close on November 20. CAF Member Associations and clubs are participating in the process, alongside eligible national team coaches and captains.

The confederation said independent monitoring would be employed to promote fairness, transparency and integrity in the selection of winners.

Lagos previously hosted the awards in 2008, 2013 and 2014, with the last ceremony held in January 2015, when Ivory Coast's Yaya Touré won the Men's Player of the Year award and Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala claimed the women's honour.

This year's ceremony will provide another opportunity for Nigeria to host prominent figures in African football and showcase its cultural and entertainment industry.