Lagos confirmed to host 2026 CAF Awards in December

Lagos is set to host the 2026 CAF Awards later this year, ending a four-year run in which Morocco held the ceremony exclusively in Rabat and Marrakesh. President Bola Tinubu approved Nigeria’s bid following talks with CAF president Patrice Motsepe at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi in May.

The gala night, often called the “Oscars of African football,” is scheduled for December in Lagos, while the 48th CAF Ordinary General Assembly takes place separately in Abuja in October. The two-city arrangement brings together all 54 African football associations for the assembly before the spotlight shifts to Lagos for the awards.

The Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Arts Theatre, has been confirmed as the venue for the ceremony. The facility’s renovation and rebrand add another marquee event to its calendar as Nigeria looks to showcase its cultural and sporting credentials.

This marks Nigeria’s first time hosting the CAF Awards since 2017, when the ceremony was held in Abuja. Lagos previously staged the event in 2008 and 2013, with the most recent Lagos edition in January 2015 as former Côte d’Ivoire captain Yaya Touré claimed a record-equalling fourth consecutive African Player of the Year award.

Further details, including the exact date and nominees across categories like African Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Club of the Year, are expected in the coming weeks.