Egyptian football has received nine nominations for the 2026 CAF Best in Africa Awards, with players, coaches, the national team and Zamalek all featuring on the initial shortlist.
The nominations cover several categories, including African Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Young Player of the Year, National Team of the Year and Club of the Year.
Among the Egyptian players in contention for the continent’s top individual honour are Zamalek midfielder Mohamed Shehata and Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, who currently plays for Saudi Arabian side Al-Riyadh.
The inclusion of the two players gives Egypt representation in the race for the African Player of the Year award, which recognises outstanding performances by footballers on the continent and beyond.
Egypt’s presence also extends to the coaching category, where national team manager Hossam Hassan has been nominated alongside Zamalek coach Moataz Gamal.
Hassan’s nomination comes as he continues his work with the Egyptian national team, while Gamal represents the Cairo club following his inclusion on the initial list of candidates.
Egyptian goalkeepers and young talent also nominated
Two Egyptian goalkeepers have also made the nominations list, with Al Ahly’s Mostafa Shobeir and Zamalek’s El-Mahdi Suleiman both featuring in the category.
Their inclusion means Egypt has representation in another major individual award, with the two goalkeepers competing for recognition among Africa’s best performers in their position.
Young striker Hamza Abdel Karim is also among the Egyptian nominees. The forward, who represents the Egyptian national team and Barcelona, has been included in the race for the Best Young Player award.
His nomination adds to Egypt’s presence across the individual categories and places him among the young footballers being considered for continental recognition.
Egypt and Zamalek nominated for team awards
Egypt’s representation is not limited to individual honours, with the national team also nominated for the Best African Team award.
Zamalek have secured a place among the contenders for the Best Club in Africa award, giving the Egyptian side an opportunity to compete for one of the ceremony’s major team prizes.
The club’s nomination adds another dimension to Egypt’s involvement in this year’s awards, particularly with Zamalek also represented through coach Moataz Gamal and midfielder Mohamed Shehata.
Overall, the nine nominations underline the breadth of Egypt’s presence on the initial lists, with representatives from the national team, Al Ahly, Zamalek and Barcelona all featuring in different categories.
When will the 2026 Best in Africa Awards take place?
The 2026 CAF Best in Africa Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on 7 December in Lagos, Nigeria.
The event will bring together the nominees competing for recognition across the various categories, with Egypt hoping its nine representatives can turn their nominations into awards.
