"The best in Africa draws closer": an impenetrable fortress saves Hakimi from the Yamal and Dembélé nightmare in the Ballon d'Or
Morocco and Senegal's rivalry renewed
CAF unveiled their nominees for the 2026 African Player of the Year award on Wednesday, and the shortlist raised plenty of eyebrows.
Morocco lead the way with three names: PSG's Achraf Hakimi, Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz and Bayern Munich's Ismael Saibari.
Senegal provide the fiercest competition, represented by Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr, Villarreal's Pape Gueye and Al-Nassr's Sadio Mane.
Rounding out the list are Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo of Manchester United, DR Congo's Yoane Wissa of Newcastle United, Ghana's Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City and South Africa's Teboho Mokoena of Sundowns.
The best in the continent: Morocco more deserving of the award
Run your eye down the list and one conclusion stands out. This award should go to a Moroccan, after the Atlas Lions lifted the latest Africa Cup of Nations title with Brahim Diaz and company in dazzling form.
Morocco also lit up the 2026 World Cup, reaching the quarter-finals before falling to France, with several of their stars producing outstanding displays.
At club level, Diaz may have offered little with a trophyless Real Madrid, but the other two Moroccans delivered.
Hakimi won the Champions League for a second season running with PSG, adding the French league, the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.
He also made the Ballon d'Or shortlist, an award Bayern Munich's Harry Kane claimed a few days ago.
Saibari, meanwhile, enjoyed an outstanding season with PSV Eindhoven before his move to Bayern Munich, and he dazzled for Morocco at the World Cup, where he scored three goals.
Senegal: Mane and Sarr the standouts
Senegal enter the race with three men of their own, Mane the headline act after his place on the latest Ballon d'Or list.
The forward was one of Senegal's brightest lights at AFCON, but he faded at the World Cup, managing a single assist before a last-32 exit against Belgium. He did at least claim the Saudi league title with Al-Nassr.
Then there is Sarr, who enjoyed a wonderful campaign with Crystal Palace and won the UEFA Conference League in 2025-2026, the club's first European trophy in their history.
Named the tournament's best player, Sarr backed that up with a sparkling domestic season.
Gueye helped Villarreal finish third in Spain last term, scoring five goals and providing two assists in 30 La Liga matches.
Will the Ballon d'Or scenario repeat itself?
Harry Kane claimed the Ballon d'Or for the world's best player a few days ago, the France Football prize going the Englishman's way ahead of Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Rodri finished third and fourth, though the former had been a strong favourite to win.
When the race began, the nominations leaned towards Yamal and Mbappe, yet Kane edged it in the end by a slim margin over the Frenchman.
France Football editor-in-chief Vincent Garcia put Yamal's failure to be crowned down to the vote being split between him and his Spain and Barcelona teammate Rodri.
Both won the World Cup with Spain, and that success split the vote between them, dragging both down the ranking. Either man inheriting the other's votes would have topped the poll.
The same thing happened to PSG forward Ousmane Dembele, Garcia added.
He claimed Paris failed to promote their player properly: "Mbappe had a very good season. Others had a bad season, like Paris Saint-Germain. I think they should have bet on Ousmane Dembele".
He went on: "Paris's communication was perhaps not clear when it tried to promote three players and then two. They should have focused on Dembele", a nod to the vote being split between Dembele, Fabian Ruiz and Kvaratskhelia.
Turn to the African race and three Moroccans on the list conjure echoes of exactly what happened with Yamal and Dembele.
Hakimi shone at club level with Paris, Diaz starred for the national team, and behind them sits Saibari, who looks the least likely of the trio.
The fear, then, is a split between Hakimi and Diaz that could dent their chances. The reassuring part for Morocco is that the rest of the field achieved little, for club or country.
So the Ballon d'Or scenario might well repeat itself, at least in part, in the African race. Even so, what Hakimi achieved puts him miles clear of everyone, and the other two Moroccans are not far behind.
Senegal's trio, in theory the biggest threat to Morocco, sit close together in quality, and any votes heading their way will surely be shared, keeping them off the Atlas Lions' trail.
How does the voting process work?
A comprehensive vote decides the results, and the following take part:
- The national team coaches of all 54 member associations of the Confederation of African Football
- The national team captains of all 54 member associations
- The members of the Confederation of African Football's Technical Study Group
- Media representatives from each of the 54 member associations
Each voter picks five players in order. First place earns five points, second four, third three, fourth two and fifth one.
CAF stage their 2026 awards ceremony on Monday 7 December in Lagos, Nigeria, with an elite gathering of Africa's biggest stars expected alongside coaches and representatives of associations and clubs.
