The Confederation of African Football has released the shortlist for the 2025 CAF Awards, unveiling nominees across the men’s categories for player, coach, club and national team honors. The awards recognize standout performances within African and international competitions between January 6 and October 15, 2025.
Among the headline contenders for Men’s Player of the Year are Cameroon midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah. Anguissa played a pivotal role in Napoli’s midfield throughout the season, while Salah remains central to Liverpool’s attack and Egypt’s national team ambitions.
The list also features DR Congo striker Fiston Mayele, who has enjoyed a breakthrough year at Pyramids FC. His prolific scoring helped propel the club to the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title, placing him among the standout performers on the continent.
Other nominees include Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen now with Galatasaray, and Senegal forward Iliman Ndiaye, currently at Everton.
The nominees were selected by a panel comprising CAF Technical and Development Committee members, coaches, former players and media representatives.
Men’s Player of the Year Nominees*l
André-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon/Napoli)
Fiston Mayele (DR Congo/Pyramids FC)
Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool)
Denis Bouanga (Gabon/Los Angeles FC)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea/Borussia Dortmund)
Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/Paris Saint-Germain)
Oussama Lamlioui (Morocco/RS Berkane)
Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray)
Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal/Everton)
Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal/Tottenham Hotspur)
Notably absent from this year’s shortlist is last year’s winner, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman. CAF noted that selection focused on players and teams who made “significant impact” during the evaluation period.
In the coaching category, Cape Verde’s Bubista has been nominated for Men’s Coach of the Year after leading the Blue Sharks to their first-ever World Cup qualification, a historic moment for the island nation.
Cape Verde is also shortlisted for Men’s National Team of the Year, alongside Morocco, whose under-20 squad recently secured the FIFA U-20 World Cup title.
In the women’s categories announced earlier, Nigeria’s Esther Okoronkwo and Rasheedat Ajibade were named among the nominees for Women’s Player of the Year.
CAF has not yet confirmed the date and venue for the awards ceremony.
