The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has rescheduled the 2026 CAF Awards to Dec. 2 in Lagos.

CAF announced the new date in a statement on Tuesday, which now brings the ceremony forward by five days.

The football governing body, however, did not disclose the reason for the adjustment, while retaining Lagos as the host city.

“The ceremony will hold at the iconic Professor Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, formerly the National Theatre, Lagos.

“It will begin at 7 p.m. local time (8 p.m. Cairo time and 6 p.m. GMT).

“The event marks the return of the prestigious awards to Lagos for the first time since the 2014 edition.

“It is expected to attract leading players, coaches, football administrators, clubs and other personalities from across the continent.

“The 2026 edition will recognise outstanding achievements across 18 categories, including the prestigious CAF Men’s Player of the Year and CAF Women’s Player of the Year awards.

“Other categories will celebrate exceptional performances by coaches, goalkeepers, emerging talents, clubs and national teams during the year,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, voting for the 2026 awards is ongoing and will close on Nov. 20 across the men’s and women’s categories.

CAF said the voting process involves its Member Associations and clubs, with eligible coaches and team captains encouraged to participate.

The process is designed to ensure broad representation, fairness and transparency in selecting the winners.

Independent monitoring will also be employed to safeguard the integrity of the voting process and the final results.

The return of the awards to Lagos is expected to combine football excellence with Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, music and entertainment.

The ceremony will bring together Africa’s finest football talents and administrators to celebrate achievements that have inspired supporters across the continent and beyond.(NAN)