Lagos has been confirmed as the host city for the 2026 CAF Awards, with the ceremony scheduled for Monday, December 7, as Nigeria prepares to welcome African football officials, players, coaches and other stakeholders later this year.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) confirmed the date following a virtual meeting of its Executive Committee chaired by CAF President Patrice Motsepe on October 2, 2026.

The ceremony is expected to take place at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts in Iganmu, the facility formerly known as the National Theatre.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had earlier confirmed that a CAF inspection team visited the venue as part of preparations for the two major CAF events scheduled to take place in Nigeria. The inspection team also assessed facilities in Abuja, including the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.

The CAF Awards is one of the organisation’s major annual events, bringing together leading figures from African football to recognise outstanding performances and contributions across the game.

Awards traditionally presented during the ceremony include the Men's and Women's Player of the Year honours, Young Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Club of the Year and National Team of the Year, among other categories.

Lagos returns to the CAF Awards calendar

The 2026 ceremony will add another chapter to Lagos' history with the CAF Awards.

Reports indicate that the city previously hosted the ceremony in 2008, 2013 and 2014, meaning the December event will be the fourth CAF Awards staged in Lagos.

Nigeria's last CAF Awards ceremony was held in Lagos in January 2017, when Algeria's Riyad Mahrez won the Men's Player of the Year award and Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala received the Women's Player of the Year honour.

The return of the awards to Lagos comes after CAF selected Nigeria earlier in the year to host the ceremony and its Ordinary General Assembly.

Abuja to host CAF General Assembly

Before the December awards, Nigeria will host CAF's 48th Ordinary General Assembly in Abuja on Saturday, November 21.

CAF has officially confirmed Abuja as the venue city for the statutory meeting, while the NFF previously identified the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre as the facility earmarked to host the assembly.

The General Assembly will bring together CAF's member associations and other football stakeholders for the organisation's statutory business.

This means Nigeria will host two major CAF events within a period of just over two weeks, with the General Assembly taking place in Abuja before the Awards ceremony moves to Lagos.

Preparations underway

The NFF said the CAF inspection team assessed airports, hotels, transport arrangements and other facilities in both cities during its August visit.

In Lagos, the delegation inspected Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Eko Hotel & Suites and the Wole Soyinka Centre. In Abuja, it visited Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Transcorp Hilton Hotel and the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.

CAF has also listed procurement opportunities relating to the Nigerian events, covering areas such as transportation, security, broadcasting, event management, interpretation and ceremony-related services.

With the dates now confirmed, preparations will continue ahead of the November General Assembly and December awards ceremony.

For Nigerian football, the two events will bring continental football administration and some of Africa's leading football personalities to the country, with Lagos and Abuja serving as the respective centres of CAF activity in the final months of 2026.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia