CAF snubs Osimhen, Lookman from 2026 Player of Year shortlist
CAF unveiled 2026 Men's Player of the Year nominees today, and Nigeria's Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are notably absent despite standout AFCON 2025 performances. Lookman recorded 3 goals and 4 assists in Morocco, earning AFCON Team of Tournament honors. Osimhen led Nigeria with 4 goals and 2 assists as the Super Eagles finished third.
Senegal and Morocco dominate with three nominees each—Sadio Mané, Ismaïla Sarr, Pape Gueye for Senegal; Achraf Hakimi, Brahim Díaz, Ismaël Saibari for Morocco. Other nominees: Amad Diallo (Ivory Coast), Yoane Wissa (DR Congo), Antoine Semenyo (Ghana), Teboho Mokoena (South Africa). The snub raises questions about CAF's criteria given both players' tournament impact.
Nigeria's third-place finish relied heavily on this duo. Lookman's creative output (7 goal contributions) and Osimhen's clinical finishing (6 contributions) arguably exceeded several nominated players' tournament returns. CAF voting involves national team coaches, captains, and media—criteria weighting remains opaque.
With AFCON performances this strong still not guaranteeing recognition, what should Nigerian players prioritize—individual stats in European leagues or continental tournament dominance?