Cape Verde national team coach Bubista received the CAF Men’s Coach of the Year award, capping off a landmark year in which he led the Blue Sharks to a historic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the nation’s first-ever appearance on football’s biggest stage.
The 55 year old tactician, who has overseen Cape Verde’s rise from underdogs to one of Africa’s most impressive emerging teams, described the award as a victory for the entire nation rather than personal glory.
“This is amazing,” Bubista said. “We are a small country but we have a big heart.”
Cape Verde’s recent success marks one of the most remarkable progress stories in African football, built on tactical discipline, diaspora scouting, and a growing identity rooted in resilient performances against established powerhouses.
Morocco’s Othmane Maamma Claims Young Player of the Year
Elsewhere, Watford midfielder Othmane Maamma was crowned CAF Men’s Young Player of the Year, following his breakout performances during Morocco’s triumphant FIFA U20 World Cup campaign, where he earned the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player.
The 20 year old praised the collective effort behind Morocco’s youth development programme, which has produced a surge of talent feeding into both European leagues and the senior national team.
“We built a team which was able to win the World Cup and it is a thing of immense pride for me,” Maamma said, fighting back emotion. “I have a lot of people to thank and am very emotional.”
His win continues a dominant night for Moroccan football, reinforcing the nation’s status as one of the continent’s fastest rising football powerhouses both at youth level and on the senior stage.
East African Leaders Recognised for Continental Football Development
The ceremony also celebrated political figures who played a role in expanding football infrastructure across the continent. Kenyan President William Ruto, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni each received Outstanding Achievement Awards for co hosting the 2024 African Nations Championship earlier in August.
The tournament marked the first major CAF event jointly hosted by the three East African nations, which are now set to return to the continental stage as co-hosts of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, the region’s first AFCON since Ethiopia 1976.
The recognition signals CAF’s push to diversify major tournaments beyond traditional hosts and increase investment in developing football regions.
