CAF Awards 2026: Dafeur, N’Gazi and Algeria’s women shortlisted for three prizes

Algerian women’s football has earned a triple nod at the 2026 CAF Awards, the annual honours handed out by the Confederation of African Football. On Tuesday 3 November, CAF unveiled its women’s shortlists, and Algeria features in three categories: defender Marine Dafeur for African Women’s Player of the Year, Chloé N’Gazi for Goalkeeper of the Year, and the national team — known as Les Vertes (“the Greens”) — for Women’s National Team of the Year.

Algeria’s three nominations

• Player of the Year: Marine Dafeur, one of ten nominees
• Goalkeeper of the Year: Chloé N’Gazi, one of ten nominees
• National Team of the Year: Algeria, one of ten teams

Tough competition

The 32-year-old Dafeur is up against some of the biggest names in African women’s football, including Zambia’s Barbra Banda, Malawi’s Temwa and Tabitha Chawinga, South Africa’s Thembi Kgatlana and Morocco’s Hanane Aït El Haj. Among the goalkeepers, N’Gazi’s rivals include South Africa’s Kaylin Swart and Cameroon’s Michaely Bihina.

In the team category, Algeria are shortlisted alongside the likes of Cameroon, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa.

Reward for a historic WAFCON

The nominations reflect Algeria’s run at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, where they claimed a historic third place by beating the hosts on penalties in the bronze-medal match. Cameroon won the title, beating Malawi 3-0 in the final.

What’s next?

The winners will be revealed at the CAF Awards ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, on Monday 7 December 2026.

Sources: Africa Soccer (Player), Africa Soccer (Goalkeeper), Africa Soccer (National Team), Le Courrier d’Algérie, Wikipedia (2026 WAFCON)