The absence of Mohamed Salah from the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) nominees for the 2026 African Player of the Year award has prompted widespread debate.
CAF revealed its list of contenders on Wednesday, with Morocco strongly represented by Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi, Real Madrid midfielder Brahim Diaz and Bayern Munich player Ismael Saibari.
Senegal also has three nominees: Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr, Villarreal midfielder Pape Gueye and Al-Nassr forward Sadio Mane.
The remaining players on the list are Manchester United’s Amad Diallo of Ivory Coast, Newcastle United’s Yoane Wissa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Manchester City’s Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo and South Africa midfielder Teboho Mokoena of Mamelodi Sundowns.
However, Salah’s omission has led to considerable discussion, particularly on social media, where opinion has been divided over whether the decision was justified.
Those questioning his exclusion have pointed to Mokoena’s inclusion. The South Africa international plays for Mamelodi Sundowns in a domestic league that is not regarded as one of the strongest in Africa.
Mokoena’s nomination follows Sundowns’ victory in the CAF Champions League, as well as his involvement with South Africa at the 2026 World Cup, where he scored once.
Salah, despite an inconsistent season with Liverpool, helped Egypt reach the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. He also played a role in the Pharaohs reaching the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup for the first time in the country’s history.
Egypt came close to progressing to the quarter-finals, but surrendered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw with Argentina.
Salah has since been performing strongly for Trabzonspor and has emerged as one of the leading players in the Turkish league this season.
That form has not ended the debate, however. Some believe he should not have been considered for the award because of his performances for Liverpool and a significant drop in his numbers compared with previous seasons.
The discussion has therefore centred on whether Salah’s exclusion was warranted or whether he deserved at least a place among the contenders, even if he was not expected to challenge seriously for the award.
The 2026 CAF Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, 7 December, in Lagos, Nigeria.
The event is expected to bring together leading figures from African football, including prominent players, coaches and representatives of national associations and clubs.
