CAF's 2026 Player of the Year nominations have sparked a backlash from Nigerian football fans after Victor Osimhen and every other Super Eagles star were left off the final shortlist despite impressive performances over the past year.

Nigerian football fans have reacted with disbelief and anger after CAF unveiled its shortlist for the 2026 Men's Player of the Year award without a single Super Eagles player making the cut.

The biggest talking point is the omission of Victor Osimhen, who many supporters believe had done more than enough to earn a place among Africa's elite performers.

Osimhen, who won the prestigious award in 2023, enjoyed another productive campaign with Turkish giants Galatasaray, helping the club secure a second consecutive league title while continuing his goalscoring exploits.

The striker has also maintained his excellent form in 2026, scoring 16 league goals for the Turkish champions. However, those numbers were apparently not enough to convince CAF selectors.

Victor Osimhen contributed 30 goals in 33 games for Galatasaray.

His exclusion means Nigeria has no representative in the Men's Player of the Year category, adding to the disappointment after goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie was also left out of the shortlist for the Women's Goalkeeper of the Year award.

The list is dominated by Moroccan and Senegalese stars, with defending winner Achraf Hakimi once again among the favourites.

Almost immediately after the nominees were released, social media was flooded with criticism from Nigerian supporters.

Many questioned how Osimhen could be left out after leading Galatasaray to another domestic title while consistently delivering goals.

2023 African Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, (Photo Credit: CAF/X)

Others were particularly surprised to see some nominees included ahead of the Super Eagles striker.

One fan wrote:

"Victor Osimhen had insane goal contributions, won the league title and still didn't make the list. How does that make sense?"

Another supporter questioned the criteria used by CAF.

"Diallo over Osimhen? Mané over Osimhen in 2026? What's the yardstick?"

A separate fan added:

"What is Amad Diallo doing there and Osimhen isn't there?"

The criticism did not stop with Osimhen.

Several supporters also pointed out the absence of other Super Eagles stars such as Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, arguing that Nigeria's third-place finish at the last AFCON should have been better reflected in the nominations.

Osimhen and Lookman made CAF Best XI at AFCON.

The controversy has once again put CAF's selection process under the spotlight, with many Nigerian fans demanding greater transparency over how nominees are chosen.

While the eventual winner will be decided in the coming months, one thing is already clear: Osimhen's absence is likely to remain one of the biggest talking points of this year's awards.

For many supporters, the question is simple.

If Africa's most feared striker cannot make the final shortlist after another title-winning campaign, what exactly does a player have to do?