Lagos is getting African football’s biggest night back, and this time the team to beat arrives from Pretoria. When the continent’s football family files into Iganmu in December, the names on everyone’s lips are likely to be South African, from the man presiding over the evening to the champions of Africa and the players behind their triumph.
Across the Limpopo, Mamelodi Sundowns’ rise is followed as closely on the betting slip as it is on the pitch, and South Africa will bring all of that attention with it to Lagos. These are the five South African names to watch. Everything starts with CAF’s president.
Dr Patrice Motsepe took office in March 2021, was re-elected in March 2025, and it was his Executive Committee that met virtually on 2 October and confirmed Nigeria as host of both of CAF’s big gatherings.
The Ordinary General Assembly comes first on Saturday 21 November, and as Complete Sports reported when Lagos was named host for 7 December, the awards return to the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, the old National Theatre, for the city’s fourth time after 2008, 2013 and 2014.
A five-member CAF delegation toured venues in Abuja and Lagos at the end of July, including the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre and the Eko Hotel, and Lagos governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu declared after the inspection that “Lagos is ready”. The hosts will not be short of pride either, and Nigeria arrive with recent form of their own.
At last year’s ceremony in Morocco, Chiamaka Nnadozie won Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year for a third straight time, the Super Falcons were named Women’s National Team of the Year, and Victor Osimhen finished in the top three for the men’s prize behind Achraf Hakimi, with Mohamed Salah the other finalist.