Ismael Saibari and Sadio Mané make African Footballer of the Year shortlist
Bayern Munich’s Ismael Saibari and former Bayern player Sadio Mané are among 10 nominees for the 2026 African Footballer of the Year award; a panel will choose the winner.
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Morocco attacker Ismael Saibari and Sadio Mané have reached the African Footballer of the Year shortlist, the Bundesliga says. Saibari plays for Bayern Munich, while Mané, a previous winner and former Bayern player, is at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr.
Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi won the award in 2025. If Saibari wins, he would be the second Moroccan to do so since Mustapha Hadji’s victory in 1998, after Hakimi.
The nominees
The Bundesliga account identifies Saibari and Mané; PUNCH lists all the nominees from the Confederation of African Football’s announcement:
- Ivory Coast: Amad Diallo
- DR Congo: Yoane Wissa
- Ghana: Antoine Semenyo
- Morocco: Ismael Saibari, Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz
- Senegal: Ismaila Sarr, Pape Gueye and Sadio Mané
- South Africa: Teboho Mokoena
The Bundesliga says a panel of the confederation’s technical committee members, African media professionals, players and coaches determines the winner.
Saibari’s season and injury
Saibari scored 19 goals and provided nine assists for PSV Eindhoven last season as the club won the Eredivisie title. He then scored three goals in five appearances as Morocco reached the 2026 World Cup quarterfinals.
He joined Bayern in July and has scored 3 goals for the club. He suffered ankle ligament damage in Saturday’s 2–2 draw with Borussia Dortmund and could miss several months, the Bundesliga says.
The winner is expected to be announced at the CAF Awards in Lagos on 7 December 2026, PUNCH says.
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