FRANCE 24-RFI award for best African player in Ligue 1: Who are the three finalists?

The finalists for the 2026 Marc-Vivien Foé Prize have been unveiled, ensuring that this year’s award will go to a first-time laureate.

On the heels of their Africa Cup of Nations campaign, Senegal’s Lions of Teranga are well represented, with both Lamine Camara and Moussa Niakhaté in the trio of finalists. 

Standing in their way is Mamadou Sangaré, who is vying to become the first Malian to pick up the annual award.

Lamine Camara

Still only 22, the Senegalese prodigy continues to live up to the hype, having become a fixture of his club Monaco and the Lions of Teranga.

The midfielder started every match of the Africa Cup of Nations, right through to the title won on the pitch against Morocco – a title Senegal have, for the time being, been stripped of pending a final appeal.

His 2025/2026 season with Monaco: 22 matches played, 1 goal, 4 assists.

His 2025/2026 season with Senegal: 11 matches played, 1 goal, one Africa Cup of Nations final.

Moussa Niakhaté

At 30, Moussa Niakhaté has become equally indispensable in defence for Senegal and his club Lyon, whose 24 clean sheets this year are largely down to him.

A win against mighty PSG last month allowed Niakhaté to showcase his newfound stature by keeping the Parisian attacking armada at bay. The 24 clean sheets recorded by OL this year are largely down to him. And so is Lyon’s return to the brink of the Champions League.

His 2025/2026 season with Lyon: 30 matches played, 2 assists.

His 2025/2026 season with Senegal: 11 matches played, one Africa Cup of Nations final.

Mamadou Sangaré

RC Lens’s standout signing this year, the 23-year-old has been a key factor in the northern club’s outstanding season, which has seen them push PSG for the title.

A tireless ball-winner with a left foot that works wonder, Sangaré is hoping to become the first Malian to win the Marc-Vivien Foé Award.

His 2025/2026 season with Lens: 28 games played, 3 goals, 4 assists.

His 2025/2026 season with Mali: 9 games played, AFCON quarter-finals.

The prize for the best African player in Ligue 1 is named after Marc-Vivien Foé since 2011, in tribute to the Cameroonian player who died suddenly while playing for his country in a match against Colombia at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon on June 26, 2003. Players who have been capped for an African national team and played in at least 15 Ligue 1 matches over the past season are eligible for the prize.

Past winners:

2025: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)

2024: Chancel Mbemba (DR Congo)

2022: Seko Fofana (Ivory Coast)  

2021: Gaël Kakuta (DR Congo)

2020 : Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)

2019 : Nicolas Pépé (Ivory Coast)

2018: Karl Toko-Ekambi (Cameroon)

2017: Jean Michaël Seri (Ivory Coast)

2016: Sofiane Boufal (Morocco)

2015 : André Ayew (Ghana)

2014: Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria)

2013: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon)

2012 : Younès Belhanda (Morocco)

2011 : Gervinho (Ivory Coast)

2010: Gervinho (Ivory Coast)

2009: Marouane Chamakh (Morocco)