Osimhen, Salah Named in CAF 2025 Player of the Year Nominees

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially announced the nominees for the 2025 CAF Awards, spotlighting the best male footballers, coaches, goalkeepers, clubs, and national teams across the continent. 

The awards, which celebrate excellence in African football, recognize players and coaches who have made outstanding contributions to the game between January 6 and October 15, 2025.

According to CAF, the selection process was carried out by a panel made up of the CAF Technical & Development Committee, experienced coaches, football legends, and selected journalists. Each category features ten nominees who stood out through their performances both at club and national team level.

Among the biggest names on the list are Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, who are both strong contenders for the CAF Men’s Player of the Year Award. Salah has continued to be a key figure for Liverpool and Egypt, while Osimhen, now at Galatasaray, remains one of Africa’s most exciting forwards after a string of impressive performances in Europe and on the international stage.

Other top contenders include Cameroon’s Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa, who had an exceptional season with Napoli, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi from Paris Saint-Germain, and Senegal’s Iliman Ndiaye, who now plays for Everton.

Men’s Player of the Year Nominees

• Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon/Napoli)
  
• Fiston Mayele (DR Congo/Pyramids)
  
• 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)
  

The competition is expected to be intense, especially with several of these stars also playing key roles for their national sides in major tournaments.

Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year Nominees

• Andre Onana (Cameroon/Trabzonspor)
  
• Vozinha (Cape Verde/Chaves)
  
• Ahmed El Shenawy (Egypt/Pyramids)
  
• Munir Mohamedi (Morocco/RS Berkane)
  
• Yassine Bonou (Morocco/Al Hilal)
  
• Stanley Nwabali (Nigeria/Chippa United)
  
• Edouard Mendy (Senegal/Al Ahli)
  
• Marc Diouf (Senegal/Tengueth)
  
• Ronwen Williams (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns)
  
• Aymen Dahmen (Tunisia/CS Sfaxien)
  

Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali also made the cut after his heroics for the Super Eagles, joining a competitive field of established goalkeepers like Yassine Bonou and Andre Onana.

Men’s Interclub Player of the Year Nominees

• Ismael Belkacemi (Algeria/Al Ahli Tripoli)
  
• Blati Toure (Burkina Faso/Pyramids FC)
  
• Issoufou Dayo (Burkina Faso/RS Berkane)
  
• Fiston Mayele (DR Congo/Pyramids)
  
• Ahmed Samy (Egypt/Pyramids)
  
• Emam Ashour (Egypt/Al Ahly)
  
• Ibrahim Adel (Egypt/Pyramids)
  
• Mohamed Hrimat (Morocco/AS FAR)
  
• Mohamed Chibi (Morocco/Pyramids)
  
• Oussama Lamlioui (Morocco/RS Berkane)
  
• Shomari Kapombe (Tanzania/Simba)
  

This category honours players who shone in African club competitions, particularly the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

Men’s Coach of the Year Nominees

• Bubista (Cape Verde)
  
• Hossam Hassan (Egypt)
  
• Krunoslav Jurcic (Pyramids)
  
• Sami Trabelsi (Tunisia)
  
• Romuald Rakotondrabe (Madagascar CHAN)
  
• Moine Chaabani (RS Berkane)
  
• Tarik Sektioui (Morocco CHAN)
  
• Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco U-20)
  
• Walid Regragui (Morocco)
  
• Pape Thiaw (Senegal)
  

Walid Regragui, who led Morocco to global recognition after their strong World Cup run, remains one of the favourites for this category.

Men’s Young Player of the Year Nominees

• Asharaf Tapsoba (Burkina Faso/Real du Faso)
  
• Alynho Haidara (Côte d’Ivoire/Mainz 05 Jacqueville)
  
• Noah Sadiki (DR Congo/Sunderland)
  
• Abdellah Ouazane (Morocco/Ajax)
  
• Houssam Essadak (Morocco/US Touarga)
  
• Othmane Maamma (Morocco/Watford)
  
• Daniel Bameyi (Nigeria/Primorje)
  
• Momoh Kamara (Sierra Leone/Minnesota United)
  
• Mbekezeli Mbokazi (South Africa/Orlando Pirates)
  
• Tylon Smith (South Africa/Queens Park Rangers)
  

This list showcases the next generation of African stars making waves in both domestic and international football.

Men’s National Team of the Year Nominees

• Algeria
  
• Cape Verde
  
• Côte d’Ivoire
  
• Egypt
  
• Ghana
  
• Morocco U-20
  
• Morocco
  
• Senegal
  
• South Africa
  
• Tunisia
  

Men’s Club of the Year Nominees

• CR Belouizdad (Algeria)
  
• CS Constantine (Algeria)
  
• ASEC Mimosas (Côte d’Ivoire)
  
• Pyramids (Egypt)
  
• RS Berkane (Morocco)
  
• Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
  
• Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
  
• Stellenbosch (South Africa)
  
• Al Hilal (Sudan)
  
• Simba (Tanzania)