Nigerian football suffered a major blow on Wednesday as the Confederation of African Football left Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman off the 10-man shortlist for the 2026 Men’s Player of the Year award.
The omission means no Nigerian male footballer will contest for the continent's biggest individual prize this year, according to Punch. The announcement came through CAF’s official X account ahead of the awards ceremony scheduled to take place in Lagos on Monday, December 7.
The snub comes despite impressive individual records from the Nigerian attackers during the assessment period. Osimhen, who took home the continental crown in 2023, delivered 15 goals and five assists in the Turkish Super Lig for Galatasaray, alongside seven goals and two assists in the UEFA Champions League. Lookman, the 2024 winner, also earned a spot in the AFCON Team of the Tournament after contributing three goals and four assists in six games.
However, Nigeria’s international misfortunes proved costly. The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after losing 4-3 on penalties to the Democratic Republic of Congo in the African play-off final in Rabat, following a 1-1 draw after extra time. Even though the team finished third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, missing out on the global showpiece in North America weakened the players' candidacies.
Morocco and Senegal headline the nominations with three players each. Defending holder Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Díaz and Ismaël Saibari represent Morocco, while Senegal features Sadio Mané, Ismaïla Sarr and Pape Gueye. The rest of the list includes Côte d’Ivoire’s Amad Diallo, DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa, Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo and South African midfielder Teboho Mokoena.
Nigerian representation was also missing in other key men's categories, with Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle overlooked for the Men’s Coach of the Year prize. The news follows a similar disappointment for the women's category, where no Super Falcons player made the final shortlist for Women’s Player of the Year, although the team did receive a nomination for Women’s National Team of the Year.
