Ex-NFF President Explains Why Victor Osimhen Was Snubbed at 2026 CAF Awards
- A former Nigeria Football Federation president gave his take on why Victor Osimhen missed out on a CAF Best XI nomination
- The 2026 CAF Awards will be held in Lagos, yet Nigeria failed to produce a single nominee across all male categories
- Many fans argued Nigeria's AFCON 2025 bronze medal and three Team of the Tournament selections deserved recognition
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Victor Osimhen's absence from the 2026 CAF Awards nominees list has drawn fresh comment from a former Nigeria football chief, who says the country's underwhelming international results are largely to blame.
His comments come as the 2026 CAF Awards prepare to hold in Lagos, with Nigeria failing to produce a single nominee across any of the male categories, including the flagship men's player of the year award.
Source: Getty Images
Kojo Williams, who once served as President of the Nigeria Football Association, now the Nigeria Football Federation, made the remarks on ThePlayzone podcast.
Williams explains Nigeria’s snub
Williams was direct about where he places responsibility.
"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 one year," he 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."
The former NFF president also suggested that the league Osimhen currently plays in may have worked against his chances, contrasting his situation with players based at clubs like PSG who compete in European football's top five leagues.
“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. Yes, he won African Footballer of the Year when he was playing for Napoli. He's a great player," Williams added.
Osimhen claimed the CAF Men's Player of the Year award in 2023 during his time at Napoli in Serie A, one of the continent's most celebrated individual honours.
Despite Williams' explanation, the snub has not sat well with many Nigerian football supporters. A significant number argue that Nigeria's performance at the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 earlier this year warranted at least one nomination.
The Super Eagles finished with a bronze medal, and three of their players were named in the official Team of the Tournament, a recognition that fans believe should have translated into individual award consideration at the CAF level.
Osimhen himself had a productive European campaign, and critics of the nominees list maintain that his output compared favourably with several of the players who did earn spots on the shortlist.
CAF confirms new date for 2026 award
Legit.ng previously reported that CAF confirmed the new date for the 2026 Award after initially announcing December 7 as the date for the ceremony.
CAF announced that the award ceremony, which returns to Nigeria for the first time in 12 years, has now been shifted by five days to December 2.
Source: Legit.ng
