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CAF Awards 2025: Victor Osimhen makes Men’s Player of the Year three-man shortlist

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2 months ago

2:46 pm

CAF Awards 2025: Victor Osimhen makes Men’s Player of the Year three-man shortlist

By Oluwadamilola Olaleye

Nigeria star Victor Osimhen has been named among the final three contenders for the Men’s Player of the Year award as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unveiled its top three nominees for the CAF Awards 2025.

The announcement highlights the Nigerian forward’s exceptional year, during which he delivered standout performances for both club and country as Nigeria narrowly missed out of the FIFA World Cup for a second consecutive year despite being the highest goal scorer.

This year’s CAF Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on 19 November 2025 in Rabat, Morocco. The prestigious event will celebrate the players, coaches, and teams whose performances and achievements have shaped African football over the past year.

Competing with Osimhen for the continent’s top individual honour are Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Liverpool, and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain.

All three superstars have enjoyed remarkable seasons, showcasing elite-level consistency and impact in domestic and international competitions.

CAF also released the top three shortlists for other major categories, including Goalkeeper of the Year, Interclub Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Young Player of the Year, National Team of the Year, and Club of the Year.

A total of seven men’s categories have been confirmed, with each featuring the leading performers between 6 January and 15 October 2025.

The 2025 edition of the CAF Awards aims to honour excellence across African football, recognising those who have delivered exceptional contributions in both club and national team competitions throughout the year.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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CAF Awards 2025: Victor Osimhen makes Men’s Player of the Year three-man shortlist

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