LAGOS: The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rescheduled the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony to December 2, 2026, with Lagos retaining its position as host city for the prestigious continental football event.
CAF announced the revised date in a statement on Tuesday, November 10, confirming that the ceremony would now take place five days earlier than initially scheduled.
Although the continental football governing body did not disclose the reason for the adjustment, it confirmed that the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly known as the National Arts Theatre, in Lagos, would remain the venue.
The development places Nigeria at the centre of African football celebrations as the continent prepares to honour outstanding players, coaches, clubs and national teams for their performances and achievements during the year.
The 2026 edition will mark the return of the CAF Awards to Lagos for the first time since the 2014 ceremony.
The event is expected to attract prominent figures in African football, including leading players, coaches, administrators, club representatives and other stakeholders from across the continent.
Hosting the ceremony in Lagos also offers Nigeria an opportunity to showcase its capacity to stage major international sporting and entertainment events while welcoming important personalities in African football.
The awards remain one of CAF’s major annual platforms for recognising excellence and celebrating achievements across different areas of the game.
According to the announcement, a total of 18 award categories will be presented at the ceremony.
Among the major honours are the CAF Men’s Player of the Year and CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards, which recognise outstanding individual performances in African football.
Other categories will celebrate exceptional contributions by coaches, goalkeepers, emerging talents, clubs and national teams.
The awards are expected to generate considerable interest among football supporters as nominees compete for recognition across the different categories.
Meanwhile, voting for the 2026 CAF Awards is ongoing and is scheduled to close on November 20.
The voting process covers the men’s and women’s award categories, with the results expected to contribute to the selection of this year’s outstanding performers.
With the ceremony now scheduled for December 2, attention will increasingly turn to the nominees and the eventual winners of the continent’s major football honours.
The event will bring together the African football community in Lagos to celebrate talent, achievement and the continued development of the sport across the continent.
