France 24 and RFI radio revealed the names of the three finalist players for the 2026 Marc-Vivien Foé Award, which is awarded to the best African player in the French Football League. The finalists are Senegalese Lamine Camara (from Monaco) and Moussa Nyakati (Olympique Lyonnais), in addition to Malian Mamadou Sangari (from Lens).
Published on: 05/05/2026 - 18:11
France 24 and Radio France Internationale (RFI) revealed on Tuesday the identity of the three final candidates for the Marc-Vivien Foé Award for the best African player in the French League for the year 2026. They are: Senegalese Lamine Camara (Monaco midfielder) and Moussa Nyakati (Olympique Lyonnais defender) and Malian Mamadou Sangari (Lens).
This season, the award will honor a new player to succeed Moroccan Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain), winner of the 2025 edition, as none of the three players have ever climbed to the podium with the aforementioned award before.
Below is a profile of the three finalists for the final race.
Lamine Kamara, midfielder (Senegal, Monaco)
Rising Senegalese star Lamine Camara, 22, continues to prove all the praises being said about him. This football legend rose to a higher level with Monaco, becoming an indispensable player in the midfield and responsible for taking free kicks.
In the ranks of the Senegalese Teranga Lions, Camara's services are no longer indispensable. He was a key player in the midfield throughout the Africa Cup of Nations, from the first match until the end (Senegal won the title on the field against Morocco, but lost the title pending the final decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAS).
His season with Monaco: 21 matches, 1 goal, 4 assists.
His season with the Senegal national team: 11 matches, one goal, the African Cup of Nations final.
Moussa Nyakati, defender (Senegal, Lyon)
Another Senegalese player who has become a regular this season is Moussa Nyakaté. At the age of thirty, the player has become indispensable in the defense line of the Senegal national team as well as Olympique Lyonnais.
On April 19, Nyakatti succeeded in stopping the powerful Parisian attack, and contributed to Lyon’s victory over the team favored to win the French League title. The 24 matches in which Olympique Lyonnais did not concede any goals this year are largely thanks to him.
His season with Lyon: 29 matches, one goal, two assists.
His season with the Senegal national team: 11 matches, the African Cup of Nations final.
Mamadou Sangari, midfielder (Mali, Lens)
The best deal Lens has made this year. After his move from Rapid Vienna, the 23-year-old joined the club during the summer, and is one of the most prominent contributors to the “Blood and Gold” team’s impressive season, which is currently ranked second in the French League.
“Left” is his nickname in Mali. It must be said that his left foot works miracles. Thanks to his tireless ability to recover the ball, Mamadou Sangari is highly regarded in the Lens dressing room, which can only hope for one thing: that the player becomes the first Malian to win the Marc-Vivien Foé Trophy.
His season with Lens: He played 27 matches, scored 3 goals, and provided 4 assists.
His season with the Mali national team: He played 9 matches and reached the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations.
With Romain Weeks (FRANCE 24)
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