The Algerian national football team has been nominated for the Best African Team award by the Confederation of African Football, CAF, for the year 2026. This nomination comes after their successful qualification for the 2026 World Cup and reaching the second round. They will compete against nine other top African teams, including Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, and Tunisia.
Algeria's young player, Ibrahim Maza, has been nominated for the Best Young Player award. Maza, who plays for German club Bayer Leverkusen, has had an impressive season with his club and national team, establishing himself as one of the rising talents in African football. He will compete against nine other young players, including Cameroon's Kristiyan Kouo, Côte d'Ivoire's Krystof Inau and Yvan Diomande, Egypt's Hamza Abdel Karim, Ghana's Kalieb Yirenky, Mali's Ismael Kamissoko, Morocco's Abdellah Ouzaan and Ayoub Bouaddi, and Senegal's Ibrahima Mbaye.
The Algerian club, Union of Algiers, has been nominated for the Best Club award, with its coach, Limine Ndiaye, also nominated for the Best Coach award. Ndiaye will compete against nine other top coaches, including Portugal's Pedro Lieto Brito, known as "Bobista," who coaches Cape Verde, Frenchman Sebastien Desabre, who coaches the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Egyptian coach, Hossam Hassan.
Notably, Algeria's national coach, Vladimir Petkovic, was not nominated for the Best Coach award, despite successfully qualifying the team for the World Cup and reaching the second round. The nominees for the Best Coach award include other prominent African coaches such as Portugal's Alexandre Santos, Morocco's Mohammed Wahbi and Walid Regragui, Senegal's Baby Tiao, and Portugal's Miguel Cardoso.
The CAF Awards recognize the best in African football, and Algeria's multiple nominations demonstrate its strong presence in the sport. The awards consider performances in various categories, including team and player achievements, as well as coaching excellence.
Other notable nominations include Côte d'Ivoire's and Egypt's teams, which have a strong history in African football. The Best African Team award will be a closely contested competition, with many top teams vying for the honor.
The winners of the CAF Awards will be announced at a ceremony that will take place in the coming months. The awards will recognize the outstanding achievements of African football teams, players, and coaches in 2026.
Key points
- Algeria's national team, Union of Algiers, and coach Limine Ndiaye have been nominated for several prestigious CAF awards.
- Young Algerian player Ibrahim Maza has been nominated for the Best Young Player award.
- The CAF Awards will recognize the best in African football, including teams, players, and coaches.
