WeeklySA_AdminCONTENTION: Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena has a compelling case among Africa’s finest after helping deliver continental glory, as South Africa features strongly in the CAF Awards nominations…
By WSAM Reporter
Teboho Mokoena’s decisive contribution to Mamelodi Sundowns’ continental triumph has thrust him into contention for African football’s highest individual honour, setting up a battle with some of the game’s biggest names.
The South African midfielder is among ten nominees for the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award, with the winner to be announced in Lagos, Nigeria, on December 7.
Reigning titleholder Achraf Hakimi, former winner Sadio Mané and attacking stars Brahim Diaz and Antoine Semenyo headline the opposition. But Mokoena’s role in Sundowns’ second CAF Champions League triumph gives him a strong claim to consideration among the front runners.
Mokoena’s decisive contribution to Sundowns’ African triumph gives him a compelling case in a field packed with the continent’s biggest stars…
His nomination for both Player of the Year and Interclub Player of the Year underlines the significance of his contribution to the South African champions’ successful campaign.
Mokoena scored a crucial goal in the second leg of the Champions League final against Morocco’s AS FAR, helping Sundowns secure a 2–1 aggregate victory and end a decade-long wait for another continental crown.
That intervention on African club football’s biggest stage provides a powerful foundation for his awards bid. While CAF’s nominations do not rank the contenders, Mokoena’s influence in a title-winning campaign makes him a serious challenger in an illustrious field.
He is the only nominee for the overall men’s award currently playing for an African club.
Hakimi will seek to retain the crown following another year with Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco, while Mané heads a three-player Senegalese challenge alongside Ismaila Sarr and Pape Gueye.
Morocco also has three nominees, with Diaz and Ismael Saibari joining Hakimi. Ghana’s Semenyo, Côte d’Ivoire’s Amad Diallo and DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa complete the shortlist.
For South Africa, however, the recognition extends well beyond Mokoena.
Sundowns captain Ronwen Williams is nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year after playing a decisive role in the Champions League triumph. His second-half penalty save in the final in Rabat helped protect the result that delivered the trophy.
Williams faces competition from, among others, Morocco’s Yassine Bonou, Senegal’s Edouard Mendy and Algeria’s Oussama Benbot, who helped USM Alger win the CAF Confederation Cup.
Sundowns defender Khuliso Mudau joins Mokoena on the Interclub Player of the Year shortlist, giving the Pretoria club two contenders for that award.
Their coach, Miguel Cardoso, is nominated for Coach of the Year after guiding Sundowns to continental success, while the club itself is in contention for Club of the Year.
Together, those nominations reflect recognition across the team: its midfield, defence, goalkeeping and technical leadership.
Bafana Bafana have also been shortlisted for National Team of the Year. CAF’s release highlights South Africa’s progression to the knockout phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as part of a landmark tournament for the continent.
The awards will recognise achievement across seven men’s categories, with ten nominees in each.
For Mokoena, the challenge is to turn a season of continental achievement into individual recognition against Africa’s most celebrated overseas stars. His case rests on a telling contribution: when Sundowns needed a decisive moment in their pursuit of African glory, he delivered.
Mokoena’s decisive contribution to Sundowns’ African triumph gives him a compelling case in a field packed with the continent’s biggest stars.
