The event will take place at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre, Lagos, starting at 7 p.m. Nigerian time
By Njoku Vincent
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced Dec. 2 as the new date for the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony scheduled to hold in Lagos.
The adjustment, announced by CAF in a statement on Tuesday, brings the ceremony forward by five days, although the organisation did not state the reason for the change.
The event will take place at the Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre, Lagos, starting at 7 p.m. Nigerian time.
CAF said the ceremony would mark the return of the continental football awards to Lagos after 12 years, having last been hosted by the city in 2014.
The event is expected to draw leading African football stars, coaches, club officials, administrators and other distinguished personalities in the sport.
The 2026 edition will feature 18 categories, with the CAF Men’s Player of the Year and CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards among the major honours.
Other categories will recognise exceptional contributions and performances by coaches, goalkeepers, young talents, clubs and national teams.
Meanwhile, the voting exercise for this year’s awards is underway and will end on Nov. 20 for both men’s and women’s categories.
According to CAF, Member Associations and clubs are participating in the selection process, alongside eligible coaches and national team captains.
The organisation said the voting framework was structured to guarantee broad participation, fairness and transparency, adding that independent monitoring would be introduced to safeguard the credibility of the exercise and its final outcome.
CAF noted that hosting the awards in Lagos would provide an opportunity to blend the celebration of African football achievements with Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, music and entertainment.
The ceremony is expected to bring together the continent’s finest football talents and administrators to celebrate outstanding performances and contributions to the development of the game.