Nigeria will host the 2026 CAF Awards in Lagos on Monday, December 7, following confirmation by the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football, CAF.
The country will also host the CAF Ordinary General Assembly on Saturday, November 21, 2026.
The decisions were announced by CAF after a virtual meeting of its Executive Committee chaired by President, Dr Patrice Motsepe.
The committee also approved the CAF Competitions Calendar for the 2026 to 2030 period, aimed at providing member associations, clubs and other stakeholders with greater certainty in planning competitions and football-related activities.
The 2026 CAF Awards is expected to take place at the newly transformed Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly known as the National Theatre, Lagos.
It will be the first time Nigeria is hosting the prestigious awards since 2017, when Abuja staged the 2016 CAF Awards.
The ceremony was a memorable one for Nigeria, with former Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho winning the Most Promising Player of the Year award, while Alex Iwobi was named Youth Player of the Year.
Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez won the Men’s Player of the Year award, while former Super Falcons star Asisat Oshoala emerged Women’s Player of the Year.
The 2026 edition will also mark the return of the CAF Awards to a country outside Morocco for the first time since 2022. Morocco hosted the awards consecutively from 2022 to 2025, with Rabat and Marrakech serving as host cities.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s hosting of the CAF Ordinary General Assembly will mark another major return for the country.
The General Assembly brings together presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and other senior football officials from across Africa.
Nigeria last hosted the CAF General Assembly in February 2009, when Lagos staged the congress that featured elections into the CAF and FIFA Executive Committees.
With Lagos set to host both major events, Nigeria is expected to welcome top football administrators and stakeholders from across the continent later in 2026.
