Former Nigeria Football Association chairman Kojo Williams has attributed the absence of Nigerian players from the 2026 Confederation of African Football Player of the Year shortlists to the country's disappointing performances in major international competitions.
Williams said Nigeria had little basis to challenge CAF's decision, arguing that the Super Eagles and Super Falcons had failed to achieve results that could strengthen the country's representation at the continental awards.
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and finished third at the last Africa Cup of Nations, while the Super Falcons missed out on Women's World Cup qualification and failed to finish among the top three at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations.
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Speaking on ThePlayzone Podcast, Williams said Nigeria's recent record made the omission unsurprising.
“It won't be fair to me to say that I am surprised, but it all has to do with our performances, what we've done in the last year,” he said.
He added, “So if we're not doing the right thing, of course, they won't pick us. Did we qualify for the World Cup? We didn't win the AFCON. You cannot fault that.”
However, the former football administrator acknowledged that Victor Osimhen's absence from the men's shortlist was noteworthy, given the striker's achievements with Galatasaray and the Super Eagles.
Osimhen helped Galatasaray retain the Turkish Super Lig title and scored four goals for Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Williams suggested that competition from other African stars and the leagues in which they play might have influenced the selection.
“You know, sometimes they play politics. Yes, Victor did well in Europe, but you had the other guys from other teams like PSG, and maybe the league he's playing in,” he said.
He nevertheless described Osimhen as a great player, recalling that the striker had previously won the African Player of the Year award while playing for Napoli.
“Yes, he won African Footballer of the Year when he was playing for Napoli. He's a great player,” Williams added.
CAF's 10-man shortlist for the men's award includes Yoane Wissa, Ismaël Saibari, Achraf Hakimi, Ismaïla Sarr, Sadio Mané and Amad Diallo.
Nigeria's absence is a departure from its history at the awards. Previous Nigerian winners of the men's prize include Rashidi Yekini, Emmanuel Amuneke, Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Ikpeba, Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
The country has also produced several winners of the women's award, including Asisat Oshoala, Perpetua Nkwocha, Cynthia Uwak and Mercy Akide.
The 2026 CAF Awards ceremony, scheduled to hold in Lagos, has been moved from December 7 to December 2. The event is expected to begin at 7pm Nigerian time.
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