Why Nigeria cannot fault CAF over “Player of the Year’ omissions – Kojo Williams

Former Nigeria Football Association (NFA) chairman Kojo Williams has blamed the country’s disappointing performances on the international stage for Nigerian footballers’ absence from the 2026 CAF Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year nomination lists.

Mr Williams believes Nigeria has little justification to question the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over the omission, arguing that the country’s results over the past year have not been impressive enough to warrant representation among the continent’s leading individual performers.

The Super Eagles failed to secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and finished third at the last Africa Cup of Nations, while the Super Falcons also endured a difficult period, missing out on qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and failing to finish among the top three at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

CAF recently unveiled its 10-man shortlist for the Men’s Player of the Year award, with several players who made significant contributions for their clubs and countries during the assessment period earning recognition.

The nominees include Yoane Wissa, Ismaël Saibari, Achraf Hakimi, Ismaïla Sarr, Sadio Mané and Amad Diallo, among other leading African stars.

Nigeria’s absence from the list has attracted attention, particularly with Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen missing out despite his impressive contributions for club and country.

However, Mr Williams insists the omission should not come as a surprise, citing the national team’s inability to deliver major results during the period under consideration.

Speaking on ThePlayzone Podcast, the former football administrator said Nigeria’s performances over the past year had offered little basis for expecting players to feature among the nominees.

“It won’t be fair to me to say that I am surprised, but it all has to do with our performances, what we’ve done in the last year,” Mr Williams said.

“So if we’re not doing the right thing, of course, they won’t pick us. Did we qualify for the World Cup? We didn’t win the AFCON. You cannot fault that,” he stated.

Williams questions factors behind Osimhen’s omission

While acknowledging Nigeria’s shortcomings, Mr Williams also suggested that factors beyond individual performances can sometimes influence the African Player of the Year selection.

Osimhen’s absence from the shortlist has been particularly striking, given his contribution to Galatasaray’s success in the Turkish Super Lig and his performances for the Super Eagles at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored four goals.

The striker also played an important role as Galatasaray retained their domestic league title, further strengthening his credentials as one of Africa’s leading forwards.

Despite recognising Osimhen’s quality and achievements, Mr Williams suggested that competition from other African players, alongside the leagues in which nominees feature, could have influenced the selection.

“You know, sometimes they play politics. Yes, Victor did well in Europe, but you had the other guys from other teams like PSG, and maybe the league he’s playing in,” he said.

Mr Williams, however, was quick to acknowledge Osimhen’s standing in African football, recalling that the striker had previously won the continent’s top individual honour during his time at Napoli.

“Yes, he won African Footballer of the Year when he was playing for Napoli. He’s a great player,” he added.

Nigeria’s rich history at CAF Awards

The absence of Nigerian representatives from the latest nominations is a notable departure from the country’s proud history at the continental awards.

Nigeria has produced several winners of the men’s African Player of the Year honour, including Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amuneke, Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Ikpeba, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

The country’s women have also enjoyed considerable success, with Asisat Oshoala, Perpetua Nkwocha, Cynthia Uwak and Mercy Akide among the Nigerians who have claimed the women’s individual award.

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For a country with such a rich tradition of producing continental stars, the latest omission represents a disappointing moment.

However, Mr Williams’ argument places the focus beyond individual brilliance, suggesting that the fortunes of the national teams and their performances in major competitions remain important considerations in how Nigerian football is perceived across the continent.

With the next CAF Awards ceremony approaching, Nigeria will hope that improved performances from its men’s and women’s national teams, alongside the achievements of its players at club level, will restore the country’s presence among Africa’s most celebrated football talents.

The prestigious event, which was previously scheduled for Monday, 7 December, has been brought forward by five days to 2 December.

The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. Nigerian time, with Africa’s finest players, coaches, clubs and national teams expected to converge on Nigeria’s commercial capital for one of the biggest nights on the continent’s sporting calendar.