CAF Awards 2026: Regragui and Thiaw nominated, but another favorite emerges?

Walid Regragui and Pape Thiaw are among the ten nominees for the 2026 African Coach of the Year award. Their candidacies have been weakened by the controversy surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won on the field before CAF awarded the trophy to Morocco, as well as by their records since then. Miguel Cardoso, who led Mamelodi Sundowns to their second African Champions League title, appears to be the favorite, while Lamine N’Diaye, winner of the Confederation Cup with USM Alger, is also a contender.