Victor Osimhen will be absent from the CAF Awards 2025 in Rabat, Morocco on Wednesday, 19 November after he returned to Galatasaray in Turkey for a scheduled MRI scan on the hamstring injury he picked up while on international duty for Nigeria.
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Osimhen, who won the CAF Player of the Year award in 2023, is in the running for the same award for the second time in his career.
This year he is up against Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah and Achraf Hakimi of PSG and Morocco.
Osimhen is expected undergo a scan that will determine the extent of the injury he suffered on Sunday.
Withdrawn at half-time
Osimhen was withdrawn at half-time during Nigeria’s loss to DR Congo in the final of the CAF FIFA World Cup 2026 playoffs.
The star striker was believed to have suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted to prevent further aggravation.
In the semi-final against Gabon, the 27-year-old scored an extra-time brace to take his national team tally for Nigeria to 31 goals.
Osimhen was succeeded by his compatriot, Ademola Lookman, as CAF Player of the Year at last year’s CAF Awards.
Broadcast live
The CAF Awards 2025, to be held at the Mohamed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat, Morocco, will be broadcast live around the world.
The event, which celebrates excellence in African football, will be available to watch live on CAF’s official partner channels such as BeIN Sport, CANAL+, SuperSport and Azam, as well as its YouTube channel, CAF TV, making it accessible to fans across the globe.
The live stream on CAF TV will begin at 20:00 (SA time) and will include exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage, the full awards ceremony and interviews with winners.
Who’s been shotlisted?
CAF has officially unveiled the top three nominees in each of the men’s categories of the highly anticipated CAF Awards 2025.
Leading the charge for the Player of the Year Top prize are Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/Paris Saint-Germain) and Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray), three of the continent’s brightest stars who have showcased their talents at the highest level.
Other categories
Other category shortlists announced include 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 categories have been confirmed by CAF in the men’s Category of the Awards, shortlisting the three top performing players, coaches and teams in each of the categories.
The CAF Awards 2025 recognise outstanding contributions across both club and national competitions over the period between 6 January and 15 October 2025.
The shortlists for the men’s categories below:
Player of the Year
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt / Liverpool)
- Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain)
- Victor Osimhen (Nigeria / Galatasaray)
Goalkeeper of the Year
- Munir Mohamedi (Morocco / RS Berkane)
- Yassine Bonou (Morocco / Al Hilal)
- Ronwen Williams (South Africa / Mamelodi Sundowns)
Interclub Player of the Year
- Fiston Mayele (DR Congo / Pyramids)
- Mohamed Chibi (Morocco / Pyramids)
- Oussama Lamlioui (Morocco / RS Berkane)
Coach of the Year
- Bubista (Cape Verde)
- Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco Under-20)
- Walid Regragui (Morocco)
Young Player of the Year
- Abdellah Ouazane (Morocco / Ajax)
- Othmane Maamma (Morocco / Watford)
- Tylon Smith (South Africa / Queens Park Rangers)
National Team of the Year
- Cape Verde
- Morocco
- Morocco Under-20
Club of the Year
- Pyramids
- RS Berkane
- Mamelodi Sundowns
