Osimhen Battles Salah, Hakimi, 7 Others for Africa Footballer of the Year

…Nwabali nominated for Best Goalkeeper

By Amaechi Agbo

Super Eagles and Galatasaray of Turkey striker, Victor Osimhen has been nominated, for the 2nd time in three years, for the 2025 Africa Footballer of the Year award,

However, the 2023 winner will navigate big hurdles posed by Liverpool and Egypt striker, Mohammed Salah and PSG/Morocco defender, Achraf Hakimi among other seven contenders as revealed by the Confederation of Africa Football CAF, on Wednesday for the diadem

“The impact of players and coaches on the African and global game has been immense for the period under consideration of 6 January to 15 October 2025, and these nominations reflect those who have made major contributions to football on the continent.

“A panel of experts made up of CAF Technical & Development Committee members, experienced coaches, CAF Legends and selected media representatives decided on 10 nominees for each category considering the performance in all competitions,” CAF said in a statement

Among the 10 nominees, few have burned as brightly as Osimhen. The 26-year-old Nigerian forward lit up the Turkish Super Lig last season, powering Galatasaray to the championship with an astonishing 26 league goals.

His hunger, pace, and lethal finishing made him the heartbeat of the Istanbul club — and earned him a record-breaking €75 million permanent move from Napoli.

For Osimhen, this nomination is more than recognition; it’s a statement. The 2023 CAF Player of the Year has his sights set on joining the elite ranks of legends who have won the continental crown more than once — names like Samuel Eto, El Hadji Diouf, and Yaya Touré.

Cameroon’s Andre Frank Zambo Anguissa and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah headline the nominees following commanding seasons with Napoli and Liverpool respectively, as well as their national teams.

Fiston Mayele (DR Congo/Pyramids), whose prolific scoring powered his club to the CAF Champions League title, is also in the mix, along with the likes of Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/PSG), Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray) and Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal/Everton).

The Men’s Nominees:

Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray); 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); Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal/Everton) and Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal/Tottenham Hotspur)

Men’s Goalkeeper Of The Year

A blend of international experience and emerging stars defines the goalkeeper category. Yassine Bonou (Morocco/Al Hilal) headlines a star-studded list having been a consistent performer for club and country, while Stanley Nwabali (Nigeria/Chippa United) and title holder Ronwen Williams (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns) are other nominees.

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) and Aymen Dahmen (Tunisia/CS Sfaxien)

The men’s interclub of the year is dominated by Pyramids FC and RS Berkane players. Algeria’s Ismael Belkacemi (USM Alger) and Burkina Faso’s Blati Touré (Pyramids FC) headline the list, alongside Oussama Lamlioui (RS Berkane), Issoufou Dayo (RS Berkane), and Emam Ashour (Al Ahly). The nominations reflect standout campaigns in the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup for Pyramids and Berkane.

Men’s Coach Of The Year

A diverse mix of tacticians represent the continent’s best football minds. Bubista (Cape Verde) is recognised for guiding his team’s continued rise in African football and FIFA World Cup qualification, while Hossam Hassan (Egypt) and Walid Regragui (Morocco) are again among the favourites after leading their teams through successful periods. Other nominees include Krunoslav Jurcic (Pyramids FC), Tarik Sektioui (Morocco CHAN) and Pape Thiaw (Senegal).

CAF’s future stars are showcased through a promising lineup of emerging talents. Burkina Faso’s Asharaf Tapsoba (Real du Faso) and Morocco’s Abdellah Ouazane (Ajax) headline the category. Rising South African prospects Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Orlando Pirates) and Tylon Smith (Queens Park Rangers) also feature among the top 10.

The national team list reflects African football’s growing competitiveness. Morocco, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cape Verde lead the way following strong performances in qualifiers and major tournaments. Morocco has two National teams nominated including the Atla Lions and the Atlas Cubs following the latter’s triumph at the 2025 U-20 World Cup in Chile. Morocco won the competition after beating Argentina 2-0 in the final.

National team nominees are: Algeria, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire. Egypt, Ghana, Morocco U-20, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia