2026 CAF Awards: Caleb Yirenkyi battles nine others for Young Player of the Year
Ghana midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi has been shortlisted for the Young Player of the Year award at the 2026 CAF Awards, where he will compete with nine other nominees for the continental honour. Algeria’s Ibrahim Maza, Cameroon’s Christian Kofane and Ivory Coast duo Christ Inao and Yan Diomande are among the contenders.
Ghana midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi has been shortlisted for the Young Player of the Year award at the 2026 CAF Awards, where he will compete with nine other nominees for the continental honour. The 20-year-old earned recognition for his performances for Danish side FC Nordsjælland before completing a move to English Premier League club Coventry City, while also making an impression with the Black Stars.
Yirenkyi scored Ghana’s winning goal against Panama at the tournament, helping the Black Stars secure a victory that contributed to their progress to the knockout stage for the first time in 16 years. His nomination places him among some of Africa’s most promising young football talents, with players from nine other countries also shortlisted for the award.
Algeria’s Ibrahim Maza, Cameroon’s Christian Kofane and Ivory Coast duo Christ Inao and Yan Diomande are among the contenders. The shortlist also features Egypt’s Hamza Abdelkarim, Mali’s Ishmael Kamissoko, Morocco’s Abdellah Ouazane and Ayoub Bouaddi, as well as Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye. The 2026 CAF Awards are scheduled to take place on Monday, 7 December 2026, in Lagos, Nigeria.
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