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CAF Confirms Lagos As Host City for 2026 Awards
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The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the 2026 edition of its annual awards ceremony will take place in Lagos, Nigeria, on December 7.
The decision was reached at a virtual meeting of the CAF Executive Committee (EXCO), chaired by the organisation’s president, Patrice Motsepe, on Friday, 2 October.
The meeting also approved the CAF Competitions Calendar for 2026–2030, alongside amendments to the regulations governing the continent’s interclub competitions.
Nigeria will host another major CAF event, the organisation’s Ordinary General Assembly, on 21 November.
The 2026 CAF Awards will bring together leading footballers, coaches, clubs and administrators to celebrate outstanding performances in African football.
The ceremony recognises achievements across men’s and women’s football, including the Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Club of the Year categories.
Nigeria has enjoyed considerable success at the awards, particularly in the men’s and women’s Player of the Year categories.
Ademola Lookman won the men’s award in 2024, following Victor Osimhen’s triumph in 2023, making them the first Nigerian pair to secure consecutive victories in the category since Nwankwo Kanu and Victor Ikpeba achieved the feat in 1996 and 1997, respectively.
The 2024 ceremony, held in Marrakech, Morocco, also saw Nigeria’s Super Falcons named Women’s National Team of the Year, while goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie received the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.
At the 2025 edition held in Rabat, Morocco dominated the ceremony during a historic night in Rabat, with Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/Paris Saint-Germain) and Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco/Al Hilal) winning the Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year awards, respectively.
Yassine Bounou (Morocco/Al Hilal) and Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie (Brighton & Hove Albion) claimed the Men’s and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year honours, and Othmane Maamma (Morocco/Watford) and Doha El Madani (Morocco/AS FAR) were named Men’s and Women’s Young Players of the Year, respectively.
Beyond the awards announcement, the EXCO approved significant changes to the regulations governing the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
Under the revised rules, players will be permitted to represent more than one club during a single CAF interclub season, a change that could provide clubs with greater flexibility in managing their squads.
The committee also approved an increase in the number of players clubs can register, setting the maximum at 40 players at any point during the season.
Clubs will additionally be allowed to replace four players during the final registration window, provided those players have not featured in any CAF interclub match during the season.
Another significant amendment concerns disciplinary proceedings. All disciplinary matters will now be referred to the CAF Disciplinary Board, removing that responsibility from the Interclub Committee.
The changes are expected to influence how clubs approach player recruitment, registration and squad management in continental competitions.
The EXCO also approved the dates for the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League, with the final tournament scheduled to run from 1 to 15 November.
The competition, which brings together the leading women’s club sides from across Africa, has become a major platform for the development and visibility of women’s football on the continent.
Nigeria’s Edo Queen’s participation in this year’s competition is presently being challenged following the annulment of their victory at the WAFU B tournament after a protest by Ampem Dakoa.
In another decision, CAF confirmed that Senegal will host the 2026 Beach Soccer Africa Cup of Nations from 28 November to 6 December.
The West African country, which won the previous edition, will host the tournament as it seeks to defend its continental title.
Headlines
Obi Tasks Tinubu to Give Account of N15.8trn Subsidy Savings, $100bn Borrowing
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to account for the N15.8 trillion saved from the removal of the fuel subsidy and the over $100 billion borrowed by his administration.
Obi’s challenge comes 24 hours after Tinubu took a swipe at the former Governor of Anambra State during an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally in Akwa Ibom State, saying that while the NDC candidate ran from erosion in Anambra, he (Tinubu) confronted the Atlantic Ocean in Lagos.
In a post on his X handle on Saturday, Obi congratulated Tinubu on spending a night in a Nigerian State outside Lagos and Abuja, while urging him to visit other states and account for the resources available to his administration.
“I congratulate you on spending a night in one of Nigeria’s states outside Lagos and Abuja. I hope you enjoyed the warmth, hospitality, and delicious cuisine of Akwa Ibom, which I am sure is even better than those of the destinations where you have spent over 260 days outside Nigeria since coming into office.
“I sincerely hope this visit will inspire you to travel to the remaining 33 states of the federation, spend time with the people and, more importantly, explain what your administration has done with the ₦15.8 trillion saved from the removal of fuel subsidy, the over $100 billion you have borrowed, the increased revenues accruing to the government from taxing Nigerians, and the additional government revenues which your administration celebrated last year as having surpassed its target,” Obi wrote.
He insisted that Nigerians deserve to know what the government has achieved with the resources, including the number of people lifted out of poverty, children returned to school and functional primary healthcare centres built.
“Nigerians deserve to know how many that were pulled out of poverty within this period, how many out-of-school children were returned to school, and how many functional primary healthcare centres you have built.
“They also deserve to know how much electricity supply has improved, especially given your promise that if you do not fix power, Nigerians should not vote for you. They deserve an explanation of how you have secured the country, which still ranks among the most terrorised countries in the world.
“Mr. President, Nigerians deserve answers. They deserve to know what has been done with the resources entrusted to your government,” he added.
Obi said the new Nigeria he hopes to build would be founded on accountability, transparency and the physical, measurable impact of public resources on the lives of citizens.
Headlines
Flamingos Beat Japan 2-1 to Win 2026 U17 Women World Cup
Nigeria’s under-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, etched their names into football history Saturday, defeating former champions Japan 2–1 at the Mohammed VI Football Complex to lift the 2026 FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup.
With the victory, Nigeria becomes the first African nation to win the tournament since its inception in 2008.
Led by head coach Akeem Busari, the Flamingos entered the showpiece having already broken ground as the first African side to reach the final, surpassing their previous best finish of a bronze medal in 2022.
After a fiercely contested opening half-hour against a disciplined Japanese side making their fourth final appearance, Nigeria broke the deadlock in the 39th minute.
Midfielder Awawu Bashiru—who had starred with a brace in the semi-final against Brazil—unleashed a long-range strike that slipped past Japanese goalkeeper Kou Kadowaki to give the Flamingos a 1–0 lead at the break.
Nigeria wasted no time doubling their advantage after the restart. Just two minutes into the second half, forward Oluebube Umejiaku latched onto a through ball and lifted a composed finish over the onrushing Kadowaki in the 47th minute to make it 2–0.
Desperate to reclaim a title they last won in 2014, Japan responded with a triple substitution and mounted heavy late pressure.
The Young Nadeshiko eventually pulled a goal back in the 80th minute through setting up a tense finish in front of a crowd that included FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CAF President Patrice Motsepe.
Despite Japan’s late surge, Nigeria’s backline—marshalled by goalkeeper Sylvia Ijirigho and defender Omowunmi Sunday—held firm through stoppage time to seal an unforgettable triumph for Nigerian and African women’s football.
ThisDay
Headlines
2027: In spite of Court Ruling, Atiku Takes ADC Campaign to Kebbi
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to restore fuel subsidy, improve security and create employment if elected president in 2027.
Atiku made the pledge on Thursday during a campaign rally in Kebbi State, where he called on voters to support the ADC, describing it as the only party committed to addressing the three issues.
“The people of Kebbi State, let me ask you a few questions. Do you want the return of subsidy? Do you want security? Do you want employment? Therefore you have no option other than the ADC. ADC is the only political party that is committed to these three objectives and more to bring about prosperity, unity and peace to the people of our country,” he said.
The former Vice President and his running mate also criticised some projects being presented as achievements of the President Bola Tinubu administration, describing them as legacies of the late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Supporters of the ADC gathered at the party’s secretariat in Birnin Kebbi to welcome Atiku and other party chieftains ahead of the rally.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Senator Austin Akobundu, commended party faithful for what he described as their resistance to intimidation by the state government.
Akobundu said the 2027 general elections would be a referendum between suffering Nigerians and the Federal Government under President Tinubu.
The ADC National Chairman, in his remarks, described the party as a moving train that no amount of intimidation could stop.
He called on the people of Kebbi State to vote for Atiku as president, Abubakar Malami as governor and other ADC candidates in the 2027 general elections.
The rally ended with the ADC National Chairman formally presenting the party’s flag to Malami as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
The campaign in Kebbi came hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja nullified the leadership of the Senator David Mark-led ADC and voided the actions taken by the party’s executives, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate.
Justice Peter Lifu delivered the judgment in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former National Deputy Chairman of the party, who challenged the emergence of the Mark-led leadership.
Atiku rejected the ruling, describing it as an attempt to weaken his political support and frustrate his campaign. He said he would challenge the judgment at the Court of Appeal.
The ADC also rejected the decision, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to cripple the opposition and vowing to challenge the judgment through all available judicial processes.






