Ademola Lookman was a surprise omission as Victor Osimhen and Mohamed Salah made the shortlist for the 2025 CAF African Player of the Year award, unveiled on Thursday.
Achraf Hakimi and Mohamed Salah lead the contenders on the 10-man shortlist for the 2025 African Footballer of the Year Award.
Morocco right-back Hakimi helped his club side Paris St-Germain to a domestic league and cup double and the Champions League trophy last season, while Salah won the Premier League Golden Boot as Liverpool reclaimed the title.
Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, who both helped Senegal qualify for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, are included alongside Galatasaray and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, who won in 2023.
Osimhen missed out on the shortlist of the award last year but stood a chance in this year after an incredible performance at Turkey.
Cameroon midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, DR Congo striker Fiston Mayele, Gabon forward Denis Bouanga, Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy and Moroccan midfielder Oussama Lamlioui round out the nominees.
Salah scooped the award in 2017 and 2018, while Hakimi finished as runner up in the past two years.
Last year’s winner Ademola Lookman misses out on the shortlist, with a panel of experts appointed by the Confederation of African Football, CAF, nominating the players, coaches and teams that made “a significant impact” between 6 January and 15 October this year.
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Cape Verde boss Bubista is nominated for men’s Coach of the Year after leading the Blue Sharks to a historic first ever qualification for the World Cup.
The Atlantic Ocean islanders are also in the running for men’s National Team of the Year alongside the Morocco side which recently won the Under-20 World Cup.
Nigeria pair Esther Okoronkwo and Rasheedat Ajibade are among the nominees for the women’s Player of the Year award which was announced last week.
CAF is yet to announce a date for the awards ceremony.
CAF Awards 2025 – men’s nominees
Men’s Player of the Year: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli & Cameroon), Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC & Gabon), Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund & Guinea), Achraf Hakimi (Paris St-Germain & Morocco), Oussama Lamlioui (Renaissance Berkane), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids & DR Congo), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton & Senegal), Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray & Nigeria), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur & Senegal).
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal & Morocco), Aymen Dahmen (CS Saxmen & Tunisia), Marc Diouf (TP Mazembe & Senegal), Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli & Senegal), Munir Mohamedi (RS Berkane & Morocco), Stanley Nwabali (Chippa Utd & Nigeria), Andre Onana (Trabzonspor & Cameroon), Ahmed El Shenawy (Pyramids & Egypt), Vozinha (Chaves & Cape Verde), Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns & South Africa).
Men’s Coach of the Year: Bubista (Cape Verde), Moine Chaabani (Renaissance Berkane), Hossam Hassan (Egypt), Krunoslav Jurcic (Pyramids), Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco U20), Romuald Rakotondrabe (Madagascar), Walid Regragui (Morocco), Tarik Sektioui (Morocco U23), Pape Thiaw (Senegal), Sami Trabelsi (Tunisia).
Men’s National Team of the Year: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Morocco U20, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia.
The full lists of nominees in the seven men’s categories are on the CAF website., external
CAF Awards 2025 – women’s nominees
Women’s Player of the Year: Rasheedat Ajibade (Paris St-Germain & Nigeria), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride & Zambia), Portia Boakye (Hapoel Petah Tikva & Ghana), Tabitha Chawinga (Lyon & Malawi), Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City & Malawi), Ghizlaine Chebbak (Al Hilal & Morocco), Mama Diop (Strasbourg & Senegal), Rachael Kundananji (Bay FC & Zambia), Sanaa Mssoudy (AS FAR & Morocco), Esther Okoronkwo (AFC Toronto & Nigeria).
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Sedilame Boseja (Mamelodi Sundowns & Botswana), Andile Dlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns & South Africa), Habiba Emad (FC Masar & Egypt), Khadija Er-Rmichi (AS FAR & Morocco), Fatoumata Karantao (MUSFAS Bamako & Mali), Cynthia Konlan (Swieqi United & Ghana), Adji Ndiaye (AS Bambey & Senegal), Fideline Ndoy (TP Mazembe & DR Congo), Chloe N’Gazi (Marseille & Algeria), Chiamaka Nnadozie (Brighton & Hove Albion & Nigeria).
Women’s Coach of the Year: Genoveva Anonman (15 de Agosto), Kim Bjorkegren (Ghana), Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe), Desiree Ellis (South Africa), Carol Kanyemba (Zambia U17), Adelaide Koudougnon (Ivory Coast U17), Justin Madugu (Nigeria), Bankole Olowookere (Nigeria U17), Siaka Gigi Traore (ASEC Mimosas), Jorge Vilda (Morocco).
Women’s National Team of the Year: Cameroon U17, Ghana, Ivory Coast U17, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Nigeria U17, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia U17.
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