Ismael Saibari has been shortlisted for the 2026 African Footballer of the Year award, and his case is built on production for both Bayern München and Morocco. He has 2 Bundesliga goals and 1 assist in 8 league appearances for Bayern, plus 3 goals in 5 World Cup appearances for Morocco.
Bayern form and Morocco output
The Bayern numbers are decent on their own, but the Morocco return gives the nomination more weight. Saibari scored 19 goals and added 9 assists for PSV Eindhoven last season as they won the Eredivisie title, then carried that form into the international stage with 3 goals at the World Cup.
Bundesliga.com said Saibari is one of 10 players nominated for the prize. That is a strong shortlist for a player who has only been in Munich since July, even if his output in Germany is still developing rather than fully established.
The injury problem after the Klassiker draw
The award story now has a complication. Bundesliga.com reported that Saibari suffered ankle ligament damage in Saturday’s 2-2 Klassiker draw with Borussia Dortmund, and that it could rule him out for several months.
That does not erase the nomination or the season he has put together, but it does change the immediate backdrop. He has already scored 3 times for Bayern since moving to Munich in July, and his name is now in a final group of 10 for a continental prize that last went to Achraf Hakimi, with Mustapha Hadji the last Moroccan winner before him in 1998.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
