Governing Bodies
Clean sweep by Senegal as Mane others shine at CAF Awards 
Senegal proved that they are really Africa Number one as they make a near clean sweep of honours at the CAF Awards in Rabat, Morocco on Thursday night.
Sadio Mane expectedly was named African Player of the Year. Aliou Cisse leading his team to both Africa Cup of Nations’ victory as well as qualification for the World Cup to also win the Coach of the Year Award.
Another Senegalese, Pape Matar Sarr emerged as the Young Player of the Year. Senegal also named National Team of the Year
Nigeria’s only showing was Asisat Oshoala winning a record fifth African Player of the Year award to become the only African ever so decorated.
In other categories, Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco was named African Men’s Club of the Year while South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns named Women’s Club of the Year
Just like Oshoala, Mane retains the CAF African Player of the Year title, having also won the 2019 edition: the previous edition. He has recently left England’s Liverpool after a trophy-laden spell with the Reds, becoming the German Bundesliga’s marquee player after signing for Bayern Munich.
Oshoala now overtakes her compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha, to stand alone as a record five-time winner of the African Player of the Year accolade.
South Africa’s national women’s head coach Desiree Ellis, who will lead Banyana Banyana into Saturday’s final of the 2022 TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations against hosts Morocco, was named Africa’s Coach of the Year in the women’s football category.
To top off a huge night for the Teranga Lions, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, who made his international debut as an 18-year-old and was part of Senegal’s AFCON 2021 winning team, was named Africa’s Young Player of the Year.
The awards were held at Morocco’s impressive Mohamed VI Technical Centre in Sale, Rabat and attended by a gathering of Africa’s top football personalities and football stars.
Morocco’s Wydad Athletic Club were rewarded for their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2022 win by being named Africa’s Club of the Year in the men’s section.
South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns FC were named Africa’s women’s Club of the Year after winning their domestic league and the inaugural TotalEnergies Women’s Champions League in Egypt in 2021.
Ghana’s Evelyn Badu scooped a double on the night as she won the women’s Interclub Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards, after leading Hasaacas Ladies all the way to the final of the inaugural TotalEnergies Women’s Champions League and winning the tournament’s Golden Boot.
The men’s Interclub Player of the Year was won by legendary Al Ahly and Egypt goalkeeper and captain, Mohamed El Shenawy.
It was another Senegalese player in Simba’s Pape Ousmane Sakho who won CAF’s Goal of the Year in the mixed category for men and women for his spectacular overhead strike for Simba against Asec Mimosa in a TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup group game.
The women’s National Team of the Year will be named after Saturday’s TotalEnergies Women’s Cup of Nations final between hosts Morocco and South Africa at the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
The Full List of Winners:
Player of the Year (Men)
Sadio Mane (Senegal and Bayern Munich)
Player of the Year (Women)
Asisat Oshoala (Nigeria and FC Barcelona)
Interclub Player of the Year (Women)
Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)
Interclub Player of the Year (Men)
Mohamed El Shenawy (Egypt & Al Ahly)
Young Player of the Year (Women)
Evelyn Badu (Ghana & Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies/Alvaldsnes)
Young Player of the Year (Men)
Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal and Tottenham Hotspur)
Coach of the Year (Women)
Desiree Ellis (South Africa)
Coach of the Year (Men)
Aliou Cisse (Senegal)
Club of the Year (Women)
Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa)
Club of the Year (Men)
Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco)
National Team of the Year (Men)
Senegal
National Team of the Year (Women)
Due to the absence of a major women’s competition during the period under review, the Organising Team for the CAF Awards 2022 has reviewed the selection process for this important category. The TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco will be factored as one of the criterion in deciding a winner befitting of the status of the award and women’s football in general. The winner will be announced on 23 July 2022 during the final match of the Women’s AFCON.
Goal of the Year
Pape Ousmane Sakho (Senegal & Simba)
The FIFA Museum in Zurich has launched a new special exhibition titled Innovation in Action: Football Technologies on and off the Pitch, offering visitors an unprecedented glimpse into how innovation is transforming the world’s most popular sport.
Opened on Monday, October 1, 2025, the immersive showcase was developed in collaboration with the FIFA Innovation Team and other departments within world football’s governing body. It explores how cutting-edge technology supports players, referees, and fans—enhancing performance, ensuring fairness, and enriching the overall football experience—while preserving the game’s passion and human spirit.
“What makes this exhibition truly special is that we can give visitors a never-before-seen behind-the-scenes look that allows them to step inside football innovation, experiencing it hands-on rather than just reading about it,” said Marco Fazzone, Managing Director of the FIFA Museum. “We offer a glimpse at technologies and tools that fans don’t normally get to experience up close, while also showing how innovation has evolved over almost 100 years of FIFA World Cup history.”
Organised around five themed sections — Broadcasting & Media, Intelligent Data, Refereeing & Fair Play, Staging the Game, and the Innovation Lab — the exhibition blends rare artefacts with interactive displays. Visitors can relive football’s broadcast evolution, from the black-and-white footage of the 1954 World Cup to today’s ultra-slow motion 4K replays, and even step into a virtual referee booth to experience the pressures of officiating in real time.
Among the standout features is the FIFA Player App, which allows fans to explore Chelsea star Cole Palmer’s performance statistics from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final, illustrating how data helps players refine their craft.
Another exhibit showcases Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s water bottle from the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 — marked with opponents’ penalty data — revealing how analytics influence critical moments.
Visitors can also view a referee body camera used at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, giving a fresh perspective on decision-making from the official’s point of view.
The exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with football technology. They can test their reflexes and judgment as referees, operate goal-line technology systems, or assume the role of a broadcast director managing live match feeds. Data enthusiasts can analyse player movements, while aspiring innovators can design their own football tech concepts inside the Innovation Lab.
Innovation in Action runs until 31 March 2026 at the FIFA Museum in Zurich. Entry is included with a standard museum ticket.
With its rich mix of storytelling, interactivity, and history, the exhibition promises to be a must-see experience for anyone passionate about the future of the beautiful game.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that football could not solve conflicts, but it must carry a message of peace and unity as Israel’s military operation in Gaza and other global tensions fuel calls for the sport to take a stand.
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino told a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich where he met Palestinian federation president Jibril Rajoub.
“Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.”
Infantino said world football’s governing body could not solve geopolitical crises, but “it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”
“I met Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich to discuss the ongoing situation in the Middle East region,” Infantino later wrote on Instagram.
“I commend President Rajoub and the PFA for their resilience at this time and I reiterated to him FIFA’s commitment to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world.”
FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.
The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.
The comments came a day after FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani noted that any decision over Israel’s participation in European competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, was a matter for UEFA to decide, effectively putting the onus on the European body.
“First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason… They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference on Wednesday.
Israel are third in Europe’s Group I of the qualifying stage for next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Amnesty International on Wednesday sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that its Statutes will be amended at this year’s Annual General Assembly (AGA), insisting that no such plans are on the table for the September 27 meeting.
In a statement, the Federation stressed that the ongoing conversation around its Statutes remains at a preliminary stage and that suggestions of imminent changes are unfounded.
Ahead of the AGA, the NFF will host a workshop on September 26, bringing together representatives of its members, as well as officials from FIFA and CAF. According to the Federation, the forum is strictly consultative, designed to deliberate on proposals for new Statutes in line with the principles of good governance and international best practices.
The NFF explained that only after consensus is reached with its members will a separate General Assembly be convened to formally consider and adopt any proposed Statute changes.
“The NFF remains committed to due process, transparency, and working hand-in-hand with its General Assembly Members, FIFA, and CAF,” the statement read.
“The ultimate goal is to establish enduring Statutes that will strengthen governance, broaden representation, and promote inclusivity within Nigerian football.”
The Federation added that the long-term reform framework is aimed at ensuring stability and progress across its structures and enhancing the participation of all stakeholders in the country’s football administration.
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