- Ademola Lookman and Achraf Hakimi now lead the 2026 CAF Award power rankings after their Champions League exploits
- Both players have played decisive roles in their clubs’ UEFA Champions League semi-final qualification this season
- Victor Osimhen, Antoine Semenyo, and Serhou Guirassy remain dangerous challengers for the 2026 award
The race for the 2026 CAF Men’s Player of the Year is already heating up, and two familiar names have surged to the front after another huge week in Europe.
Ademola Lookman and Achraf Hakimi have both strengthened their cases after guiding Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain into the UEFA Champions League semi-finals.
Source: Getty Images
With club performances, continental impact, and national team influence all central to CAF voting, the latest developments have made this one of the most exciting award battles in years.
Hakimi leading CAF award rankings
If the award were decided today, Achraf Hakimi may just hold the narrow edge as the Moroccan captain already has two massive pillars in his favour.
Winning the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco and another deep run in the Champions League with PSG as catapulted the defender as the leading favourite to defend the award he won in 2025.
Hakimi’s influence goes beyond defending, with strong assist numbers, key goals from right-back, and leadership for both club and country.
CAF voters traditionally value players who combine elite club form with national team success, and Hakimi checks every box.
Morocco’s AFCON win on home soil remains a powerful narrative boost, especially because Hakimi was central to their run and entered 2026 already as the reigning CAF Player of the Year.
Lookman surge in power rankings
Ademola Lookman, however, is making this race for the 2026 CAF awards impossible to call.
The Nigerian forward has once again shown his ability to deliver when the stakes are highest.
Source: Getty Images
His decisive Champions League contributions for Atletico Madrid, including his crucial goal against Barcelona in the quarter-final, have pushed Diego Simeone’s side into the final four, UEFA.com reports.
The 28-year-old forward, who won the award in 2024, also played a crucial role for the Super Eagles as Nigeria won bronze at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
What makes Lookman especially dangerous in this race is his reputation for defining knockout games by scoring crucial goals against Real Madrid and Barcelona since he joined Atletico Madrid in January.
From his AFCON impact with Nigeria to his latest European heroics, he continues to build the image of a player who thrives under pressure.
CAF voters often remember iconic moments, and Lookman is stacking them up at the perfect time.
If Atletico go all the way in Europe, the Nigerian could quickly become the outright favourite.
Other contenders for CAF Award 2026
While Hakimi and Lookman currently headline the conversation, the race is far from over.
Victor Osimhen remains a proven CAF favourite and the Nigerian forward continues to command respect with his goalscoring output for Galatasaray
As seen on World Football, Osimhen is among the leading goalscorers in the Champions League this season with seven goals and is on course to win the Turkish Super Lig and Turkish Cup.
Ghana’s Antoine Semenyo is also another outside favourite for the CAF award as he continues to excel since joining Manchester City.
Semenyo has already won the Carabao Cup this season and the Ghanaian could be on course to finish the campaign with three titles, with Manchester City still in contention for the Premier League and in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Sadio Mane, Serhou Guirassy, and Yassine Bounou are the other contenders for the 2026 CAF awards.
For now, though, the momentum belongs to the Champions League semi-finalists.
Sunday Oliseh applauds Ademola Lookman
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Sunday Oliseh has sent a strong message to Ademola Lookman following his performance in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League clash on Tuesday, April 14.
Lookman scored a crucial goal as Atletico Madrid qualified for the semi-finals for the first time in nine years.
Source: Legit.ng
