Achraf Hakimi is among three Morocco players nominated for the 2026 CAF Player of the Year award, with the Paris Saint-Germain defender joined on the shortlist by Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz and Bayern Munich’s Ismaila Saibari.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the nominees on Wednesday. Morocco face competition from Senegal, who have three candidates: Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr, Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye and Al-Nassr captain Sadio Mane.
The remaining nominees are Manchester United’s Amad Diallo of Ivory Coast, Newcastle United’s DR Congo forward Yoane Wissa, Manchester City’s Ghana international Antoine Semenyo and South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena of Mamelodi Sundowns.
Morocco’s case is strengthened by their victory in the most recent Africa Cup of Nations and their run to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, where they were eliminated by France. Diaz was influential for the national team, while Saibari scored three goals at the World Cup.
Hakimi enjoyed the strongest club season of the Moroccan trio, winning the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain for a second successive season. He also lifted Ligue 1, the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.
The defender was included among the nominees for the Ballon d’Or, won recently by England and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane. Diaz, meanwhile, had a less successful campaign with Real Madrid, who ended the season without a trophy.
Saibari impressed for PSV Eindhoven before moving to Bayern Munich and was also outstanding for Morocco.
Senegal’s challenge
Mane was included on the latest Ballon d’Or shortlist and played a prominent role for Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations. However, he created only one goal at the World Cup, where Senegal went out in the round of 32 to Belgium. He did win the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr.
Sarr helped Crystal Palace win the 2025-26 Conference League, the first European trophy in the club’s history, and was named the competition’s best player. Gueye contributed to Villarreal finishing third in La Liga, scoring five goals and providing two assists in 30 league appearances.
The presence of three Moroccan nominees raises the possibility of votes being split, as happened in the Ballon d’Or. Kane won ahead of Kylian Mbappe, with Barcelona pair Lamine Yamal and Rodri third and fourth respectively.
France Football editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia said Yamal lost votes to Rodri, with both having won the World Cup with Spain. He also said a similar issue affected Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele.
“Mbappe had a very good season. Others had a poor season, like Paris Saint-Germain. I think they should have backed Ousmane Dembele,” Garcia said.
“Paris’ communication was perhaps unclear when they tried to promote three players and then two. They should have focused on Dembele,” he added, referring to the votes shared between Dembele, Fabian Ruiz and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Hakimi’s club achievements and Diaz’s international form give Morocco a strong position, while votes for Senegal’s three relatively similar candidates could also be divided.
Each voter selects five players, scoring them five, four, three, two and one point. The electorate includes national-team coaches and captains from CAF’s 54 member associations, CAF’s technical study group and one media representative from each association.
The 2026 CAF Awards ceremony will be held in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday, 7 December.
