Ghana international Caleb Yirenkyi is among 10 players shortlisted for the 2026 CAF Young Player of the Year award following a breakthrough year at both club and international level.
The 20-year-old midfielder caught the attention of European clubs with his impressive displays for Danish outfit FC Nordsjælland, performances that paved the way for his transfer to English Premier League side Coventry City.
Yirenkyi has also enjoyed significant moments with the Black Stars, notably scoring the decisive goal in Ghana’s victory over Panama to secure a place in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 16 years.
He will, however, face competition from a strong field of emerging African talents, including Algeria’s Ibrahim Maza, Cameroon’s Christian Kofane, Ivory Coast duo Christ Inao and Yan Diomande, Egypt’s Hamza Abdelkarim and Mali’s Ishmael Kamissoko.
Morocco’s Abdellah Ouazane and Ayoub Bouaddi, alongside Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye, complete the list of contenders.
The 2026 CAF Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, December 7, in Lagos, Nigeria, where Africa’s outstanding football performers will be recognised.
By: Emmanuel Opoku – Journalist