By Oluwasore Alabi
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has revealed the entire list of nominees for the 2025 CAF Awards, with Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah leading the high-profile African Player of the Year nominees. The announcement, made Monday, honors ten outstanding performers in top competitions between January and October 2025.
Among the favorites are top-profile players such as Cameroon’s André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, Senegal’s Iliman Ndiaye, and DR Congo’s Fiston Mayele, which is a testament to the increased African and European elite football presence on the continent.
The categories on the list also include Goalkeeper of the Year, Interclub Player, Young Player, Coach, Club, and National Team of the Year. Stanley Nwabali of Nigeria was shortlisted in the Goalkeeper of the Year category based on his outstanding performances during the Africa Cup of Nations and playing for South Africa’s Chippa United.
Apart from the excitement of the names, this year’s nominations tell a richer story about African football resilience and revolution. The presence of players performing for leading European clubs alongside those playing in African leagues tells of how the continent is slowly bridging its talent gap. From Premier League’s Salah to Moroccan league’s Lamlioui, African football talent can no longer be limited by geography.
But the CAF Awards also hold up the mirror to the challenges still remaining uneven football development amongst nations, poor infrastructure, and irregular funding in domestic leagues. The success of a few cannot conceal the failure of many. Behind every Osimhen playing in Europe’s premier league, there are hundreds of homegrown talents squandered by poor administration and non-exposure.
Victor Osimhen’s shortlisting is a beacon of Nigeria’s enduring football heritage, despite the local game’s lack of stability and governance failure. His journey from Lagos streets to European glory, is the promise of African football if well-organized and funded. Similarly, Mohamed Salah’s continued excellence is a testament to North Africa’s enduring strength in football quality, based on enhanced league structures and production of talent.
With the CAF Awards close, focus should not only be on who will win the awards but what these nominations are saying: the promise of a continent that is willing to reclaim its place in world football. The combination of old and new faces says that Africa’s football is alive and kicking despite adversity but it is also calling for an imperative.
It is time football officials across the continent pay back the players’ sweat with institutional commitment, transparency, and discipline. Awards reward accomplishment, yet true advancement is to ensure that every African player from Accra to Aba has a fair opportunity at greatness.
This year’s CAF Awards are not just an event; they are a reflection of the ongoing story of African football, one of brilliance, turmoil, and hope for a better dawn.
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