KEY POINTS

• CAF has brought the 2026 Awards ceremony forward by five days to December 2.
• The event will take place at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Lagos.
• Voting across the men’s and women’s categories will close on November 20.

MAIN STORY

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rescheduled the 2026 CAF Awards to December 2 in Lagos, bringing the ceremony forward by five days.

The football governing body announced the change in a statement on Tuesday but did not disclose the reason for the adjustment. Lagos remains the host city.

The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. local time at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre.

The event marks the return of the awards to Lagos for the first time since the 2014 edition and is expected to attract players, coaches, football administrators, clubs and other personalities from across Africa.

CAF said the 2026 edition would recognise achievements across 18 categories, including the CAF Men’s Player of the Year and CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards. Other categories will recognise coaches, goalkeepers, emerging talents, clubs and national teams.

Voting is currently ongoing and will close on November 20 across the men’s and women’s categories.

According to CAF, the process involves its Member Associations and clubs, with eligible coaches and national team captains encouraged to participate. The governing body said independent monitoring would be used to protect the integrity of the voting process and final results.

CAF expects the ceremony to combine the recognition of African football achievements with Nigeria’s cultural heritage, music and entertainment.

THE ISSUES

The return of the CAF Awards to Lagos places Nigeria in the spotlight of African football at a time when major sporting events also serve as platforms for tourism, hospitality and entertainment businesses.

The ceremony is expected to bring visitors from across the continent, creating potential business for hotels, restaurants, transport operators, event suppliers and other service providers. However, the scale of the economic benefit will depend on visitor spending, event organisation and how effectively local businesses connect with the influx of guests.

The awards also provide an opportunity to showcase the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre, as a venue for major international events.

The voting process is another important part of the ceremony. With awards spread across 18 categories, the participation of national associations, clubs, coaches and captains is intended to give different parts of African football a voice in selecting winners. Independent monitoring is intended to strengthen confidence in the final results.

WHAT’S NEXT

Voting will close on November 20, ahead of the December 2 ceremony. CAF has not announced the reason for changing the date, but has retained Lagos as the venue.

BOTTOM LINE

The CAF Awards will return to Lagos on December 2, bringing together leading figures in African football and offering Nigeria an opportunity to host one of the continent’s major football events.