Ghanaian midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi has earned a nomination for the 2026 CAF Young Player of the Year award following an impressive season that has seen him attract attention across European football.
The 20-year-old is among 10 nominees shortlisted for the prestigious continental award, recognising his performances for Danish club FC Nordsjælland and the Ghana national team, the Black Stars.
Yirenkyi’s nomination comes after an impressive spell in Denmark, where his performances earned him a move to English Premier League club Coventry City.
The young midfielder has also made significant contributions to Ghana’s national team, announcing himself on the international stage with an important goal against Panama.
His winning strike helped the Black Stars secure a historic place in the knockout stage for the first time in 16 years, further strengthening his growing reputation as one of Ghana’s emerging football talents.
However, Yirenkyi faces competition from nine other young African footballers for the CAF Young Player of the Year accolade.
The nominees include Algeria’s Ibrahim Maza, Cameroon’s Christian Kofane, Ivory Coast’s Christ Inao and Yan Diomande, Egypt’s Hamza Abdelkarim, Mali’s Ishmael Kamissoko, Morocco’s Abdellah Ouazane and Ayoub Bouaddi, as well as Senegal’s Ibrahim Mbaye.
The nomination represents another important milestone in Yirenkyi’s rapidly developing career and adds to Ghana’s representation at the 2026 CAF Awards.
The 2026 CAF Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on Monday, December 7, in Lagos, Nigeria, where Africa’s outstanding footballers and other football stakeholders will be recognised for their achievements.