Game Time Africa

Rabat-Morocco

15 – 16 January 2026

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Celebrating Excellence in African Sports Business

About the awards

At Game Time Africa Summit 2026, we celebrate the visionaries, leaders, and innovators shaping the future of African sport. Our exclusive Awards Gala brings together the continent’s most influential stakeholders for an unforgettable evening of celebration, inspiration, and high-level networking.

The Game Time Africa Awards honor outstanding achievements across the African sports business ecosystem — from athletes and teams to organizations, brands, and changemakers.
Whether breaking records, pioneering innovation, or inspiring millions, our awardees redefine what excellence means in the world of sport:

  • Best Fan Engagement Campaign
  • Most Stunning Event of the year
  • SportsTech Innovation of the year
  • Athlete-Investor of the Year
  • Community Impact of the year
  • Best Sustainable Infrastructure
  • Best Talent Development Organization
  • Investment of the year
  • Financial Partnership of the year
  • Gamer of the year
  • Media and Broadcasting of the year
  • Leading Team – Federation of the year
  • Sports Tourism Destination of the Year
  • Lifetime Achievement of the Year
  • Sports Business Leader of the year
2021 Established
15+ Categories
2k+ Participants

At Africa Game Time Summit 2026, we celebrate the visionaries, leaders, and innovators shaping the future of African sport. Our exclusive Awards Gala brings together the continent’s most influential stakeholders for an unforgettable evening of accolades, inspiration, and high-level networking.

Award Categories

Game Time Africa

Celebrating the most impactful and innovative marketing efforts in African sport.

Honoring groundbreaking products, technologies, or services that have transformed the industry.

Highlighting initiatives creating meaningful change through sport in African communities.

Recognizing outstanding events that captured the spirit and excellence of African sport.

Awarding the best strategy in connecting and engaging with fans.

apply to be nominee

Awards ceremony

Game Time Africa

awards 4

The selected organisations will be notified one month before the event. They commit to send one of their executives to the award ceremony.
The winners will be celebrated during the Game Time Africa Summit gala dinner, on Thursday 15th January 2026, in Rabat, Morocco.

frequently asked questions

Game Time Africa

Who can apply to be nominated for an Game Time Africa Award?

Anyone involved in the African sports business ecosystem – including individuals, teams, organizations, startups, brands, agencies, and NGOs – can apply or be nominated, provided their work demonstrates impact, innovation, or excellence in the field.

How are nominees selected and winners chosen?
  • Open Call: Announced through Game Time Africa channels, inviting entries from federations, brands, innovators, and the public.
  • Curated Submissions: Steering Group and Advisory Partners identify outstanding initiatives to ensure balance across regions and sports.
  • Evaluation: Independent Jury of African and global leaders, aligned with the Summit’s mix of investors, public/private leaders, and athletes.
  • Public Engagement: Select categories (e.g., Personality of the Year) opened to continental fan vote to drive awareness.
When will finalists be notified?

Finalists will be notified via email one month before the summit, along with guidelines for the Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner.

Is attendance at the Gala Dinner mandatory for finalists?

Yes, at least one executive representative must attend the Awards Gala Dinner in Rabat, Morocco, on January 16, 2026, to accept the award in person if selected as a winner.

What does the Gala Dinner include?

The Gala Dinner will feature the official Awards Ceremony, a three-course fine dining experience, cultural entertainment, and high-level networking with C-suite executives, investors, and sports industry leaders from across Africa and beyond.

How can I nominate someone for an award?

Click on the “Nominate Now” button, create an account, fill out the nomination form, and submit supporting documents.

APPLICATION OPEN UNTIL 15th DECEMBER 2025

Please fill in the form below. Any incomplete file will not be considered.

NOMINATE NOW

SUMMIT

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Osi Umenyiora

2-time Superbowl Champion & NFL Ambassador

Nigerian Osi Umenyiora is a two-time Super Bowl winning defensive end with the New York Giants and a two-time winner in the prestigious Royal Television Society Awards for his work on BBC Television in the UK. In 2015, he returned to London, becoming an NFL Ambassador and working as an analyst for BBC TV’s coverage of the NFL. He co-hosts "The Jason & Osi Podcast" and co-presents for the NFL Show on ITV, both with fellow NFL alum, Jason Bell. He has twice been named as Best Sports/Presenter/Analyst in the Royal Television Society Awards (2017 and 2019) and was named as Sports Pundit of the Year for 2018 in the Sports Journalists’ Association Broadcast Awards. He also created, and continues to oversee, the International Pathway Program (IPP) and the NFL Academy.
In 2021 Osi founded scouting camps in Nigeria which focus on finding talent for the IPP and The Academy for the NFL in both the US and UK, respectively. The camps, through his program The Uprise, have continued to expand across Africa annually. In 2021 he also created and spearheaded the creation of NFL Africa, which he continues to run.

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Rene Awambeng

Founder and Managing Partner of Premier Invest

René Awambeng is a seasoned corporate and investment banker with three decades of experience spanning Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East. Over his distinguished career, he has structured, led, and driven more than US $8 billion in revenues and facilitated transactions exceeding US $300 billion across diverse sectors, including energy, trade-enabling infrastructure, commodities, and financial services for wholesale corporate clients. He served as Global Head of Client Relations at the African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank), where over eight years he was instrumental in growing the balance sheet and profitability, strengthening strategic partnerships, and advancing the Bank’s mandate to promote intra-African trade across member states and global markets.
Premier Investment Holdings Limited (PIHL), trading as Premier Invest, is a financial services holding company headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, comprising 3 dynamic subsidiaries — banking, fund management and advisory, and commodity trading — and developing Africa first sports infrastructure fund.

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Amina Lanaya

UCI Director General Tchamba

Amina Lanaya has been the Director General of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) since September 2017.
With French, Moroccan and Swiss nationality, she is the first woman to occupy the post since the Federation was founded in 1900. She is also one of the few female executives in charge of an international sports federation.
A qualified lawyer, she worked with international law firms in Paris, France, before moving to Switzerland in 2003 and joining the UCI in 2006. After working in the UCI’s Legal Department, in particular in anti-doping, she became the Federation’s deputy Director General (September 2013) before moving to her current position. She now heads up a team of around 130 people.
Passionate about sport, Amina Lanaya is also a committed supporter of causes such as the promotion of women and diversity in sport and governance, the protection of integrity at all levels, and sustainable development.
When she has time, she makes the most of the UCI’s superb facilities and surroundings to ride her bike.

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Mr. Khalid Safir

Chief Executive Officer of the Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG) Morocco

Born in 1967 in Settat, 85 km from Casablanca, Safir graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique de Paris in 1991. In 1995, Safir joined the Ministry of Finance as a research officer, before becoming a director in the same department in 1998. In 2006, Safir was appointed Governor of Casablanca’s al Fida-Mers Sultan Prefecture, then of Casablanca-Anfa Prefecture in 2009. From 2011 to 2013, Safir held the position of Secretary General of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. On October 2013, King Mohammed VI appointed Safir as the Wali of the Casablanca Region and Governor of the Casablanca Prefecture. In 2015, he then joined Morocco premiere financial institution CDG as Chief Executive Officer.

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Yasser Shaker

Executive Vice President, CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa

Yasser Shaker is a seasoned telecom executive and visionary leader who currently serves as Executive Vice President and CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa (OMEA) since July 1, 2025. Yasser Shaker. He also holds several positions of Chairman of the board. With more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Yasser brings a powerful blend of strategic insight, operational rigor, and a strong commitment to digital inclusion and innovation. From 2018 to 2025, Yasser served as CEO of Orange Egypt, during a particularly challenging period and successfully led a major turnaround, reviving growth, restoring profitability, and strengthening OEG’s market position, serving now over 33 million customers. With 28 years of telecom experience, Yasser combines multinational corporate and country-level expertise. Passionate about youth development, he currently serves as chairman & board member of several universities & organizations. A telecom engineer with an MBA, he speaks four languages.

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Mr Tresor Penku

LALIGA Africa Managing Director

Born in Cameroon, Tresor Penku boasts a diverse academic background with degrees in Marketing (ESERP Business School Madrid), Management (Staffordshire University), and a master’s in Sports Management. He also holds certifications in sports sponsorship, strategy, and digital marketing from top institutions like Barca Innovation Hub and IE Business School.
In 2010, Trésor joined Edusport in Spain, driving marketing and sports projects. By 2014, he was CEO at Soccer Live Academy, training young talents globally. His career includes roles at Premium Fitness Club Holmes Place and L'Oréal Spain.
In 2018, Trésor became LaLiga's International Business Development Consultant for Central Africa, expanding LALIGA’s presence in countries including DR Congo, Congo Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Cameroon. Since 2023, he leads LALIGA’s activities in Africa as Managing Director, based in Johannesburg.
Trésor’s journey is one of dedication and innovation, believing in sports as a catalyst for growth and success.

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Abdou Diop

Forvis Mazars Managing Director

Mr. Abdou Diop is Managing Partner of Mazars Audit & Conseil, an international audit and consulting firm. For over 25 years, he has been providing consulting and audit services in Morocco and across Africa, working with public-interest companies (large, public or private), international donors, and governments (Burkina Faso, Comoros, Mauritania, Burundi, Senegal, Madagascar, etc.) on issues related to strategy, sectoral reforms, and development policies. He also supports the development of numerous Moroccan companies on the African continent, including banks (Attijariwafa Bank, Banque Centrale Populaire), insurance companies (RMA), telecom operators (Maroc Telecom), manufacturers (Plastima), and real estate operators (Palmeraie Holding, AGI, etc.).

Abdou Diop previously served as President of the Africa and South-South Commission of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM). He coordinated the activities of the Economic Impulse Groups, notably Morocco-Ivory Coast and Morocco-Senegal. He was also responsible for implementing actions to improve the legal and fiscal framework for cooperation between Morocco and other African and Southern countries, as well as supporting and structuring development and BtoB actions between Moroccan companies and Southern companies. Mr. Diop is also regularly sought after for his expertise in numerous economic sectors and his knowledge of the African continent to provide insights through articles and publications. He also acts as a panelist and moderator in national and international forums and conferences.

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Mouad Hajji

World Cup 2030 Lead

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Desire Koussawo

SAGES Africa Founder and CEO

A prominent figure in the French gaming community and beyond, Désiré was the Managing Director of ESL France and is the cofounder and honorary president of the Futurolan Association, which organizes Gamers Assembly, France's largest LAN party. Currently serving as President of the France Esports Association, he is deeply committed to advancing esports at all levels, from local to global. Through his latest venture, SAGES Africa, Désiré has been instrumental in shaping the future of esports in Africa since 2019.

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Adama Gaye

Orange Ventures , Head of Investment for Africa

As the Lead for Middle East and Africa at Orange Ventures, Adama Gaye plays a pivotal role in managing the corporate venture capital arm of Orange Group, which oversees €350 million in assets, including €50 million dedicated to the MEA region. By leveraging Orange Group's expertise, networks, and capital on the continent, Orange Ventures accelerates the growth and expansion of businesses, propelling them towards global success.

Adama Gaye is a graduate of Sciences Po Paris (France). With over a decade of experience in Africa, including business development roles at Saint-Gobain and strategic positions at Orange MEA, Adama joined Orange Ventures in 2024. Adama has also worked within the United Nations organization in New York for the Mauritanian Ambassador and for Hubert Vedrine, the former Foreign Minister of France.

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Dr Yasmine Alaoui

Principal, Gratiya Africa

Yasmine Alaoui is a university lecturer and senior consultant specializing in governance, attractiveness and territorial marketing. She holds a doctorate in economics and management, as well as specialized diplomas in territorial marketing and public management (IMPGT Aix-en-Provence, Aix-Marseille Université/SciencePo, ENCG).
She is a member of the executive board of the Observatoire de la Protection de l'Environnement et des Monuments Historique de la ville de TANGER/Doctoral thesis on territorial identity. She has advised on numerous territorial marketing projects in Morocco (Tangier, Casablanca, Marrakech, Oujda, Dakhla) as well as in France, Spain and West Africa. Her expertise covers market studies, diagnostics, strategies, operational plans and evaluations.

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Ibrahim Sagna

Silverbacks Holdings Executive Chairman

Ibrahim Sagna (pronounced “San Ya”) is an institutional platformbuilder with over 25 years of experience in global finance. Mr. Sagna serves today as the Executive Chairman of SilverbacksHoldings, an alternative investment firm focused primarily on acquiring strategic stakes in select professional sports franchises and media properties. He is the Vice-Chairman and a Founding Partner of the Cape Town Tigers, a South African basketball franchise that participates in the NBA’s league in Africa, the Basketball Africa League (“BAL”). Silverbacks Holdings also invests selectively in dominant technology companies but essentially intervenes in tech through a fund of fundstrategy.

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Ronny Turiaf

NBA Champion, Investor, EVP Strategy Owner Sporting Club Escaldes

Ronny Turiaf is a retired French former professional basketball player who played 10 seasons in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, and Minnesota Timberwolves, winning an NBA championship in 2012 with the Heat. Turiaf was a member of the French national team and was inducted into the French Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.
From NBA champion to cultural entrepreneur, his journey is a constant exploration of performance, identity, and transformation. Today, he supports athletes, creatives, and leaders in their life transitions—whether it's reinventing themselves, launching a meaningful project, or rediscovering their inner alignment.
As the founder of Maison Verveau, a creative retreat surrounded by nature, he creates spaces conducive to reflection, connection, and transformation. I also advise brands, institutions, and individuals on human dynamics, strategy, and impact.

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Paulo Gomes

Orango Investment Founder & CEO

Paulo Gomes is a global business leader, active environmentalist and a key political actor in Guinea Bissau.

His constant search for how to reposition the country and help it become stable and prosperous is what led him to initiate the Bissau Economic Forum now in its second edition. The forum is a bi-annual discussion and investment forum on cooperation and the economic transformation of the country with all stakeholders from civil society, private sector and the government in order to attract foreign investment as well as create employment.

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David Mignot

Canal+ Africa CEO

David Mignot is a graduate of the École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications and holds a DEA (postgraduate degree) in Economics from Paris Dauphine University.
He began his career in 1996 at the consulting firm Bossard Gemini Consulting, specializing in the Pay TV and Telecom sectors.
Founder and CEO of Parabole Réunion from 1999 to 2008, David Mignot then joined the Outremer Telecom Group as Deputy CEO in charge of the Indian Ocean region, restoring profitability and successfully implementing mobile offerings. In 2011, David Mignot joined the Canal+ Group as Project Director in charge of the strategic plan.
Since June 2013, David Mignot has been CEO of CANAL+ INTERNATIONAL for Africa.

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Clare Akamanzi

NBA Africa CEO

As CEO of NBA Africa, Clare Akamanzi oversees the NBA’s business and basketball development efforts across the continent. She is responsible for growing the popularity of basketball, the NBA, and the Basketball Africa League (BAL) through grassroots development, media distribution, corporate partnerships, and social responsibility initiatives that enhance the livelihoods of African youth and families.

Before joining NBA Africa in January 2024, Akamanzi served as CEO of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) for six and a half years, driving Rwanda’s economic development through private sector growth.

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Cyril Gane

MMA Star and Lori6Ventures President

Cyril "Bon Gamin" Gane is a French professional mixed martial artist, investor and actor, who currently competes in the UFC's heavyweight division, where he is a former Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion and currently ranked #1. Gane started in Muay Thai, winning the national title before transitioning to MMA in 2018. He quickly rose to prominence, becoming the TKO Heavyweight Champion and later joining the UFC in 2019, where he won the interim heavyweight title in 2021. Outside the Octagon, Ciryl has co-founded ARES Fighting Championship and continues to make impactful strides in sports, technology, and media through his Family Office, LORI6 Ventures.

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Remy Rioux

AFD Group CEO

An expert in economics and international financial institutions, Rémy Rioux has held high-level positions in a career devoted to development, Africa and the French economy. After serving as Chief of Staff of the French Economy and Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici, he was appointed by Laurent Fabius as Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and coordinated the finance agenda for the French Presidency of COP21, up to the final negotiation of the Paris Agreement.

In 2024, he was mandated by the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, to organize the first International Summit on Sport for Sustainable Development, on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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Marc Lasry

Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder

Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Avenue Capital Group Marc Lasry is a renowned financial strategist and a former Co-Owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA franchise. Lasry was born in Morocco and moved to the U.S. at age 7 with his family. He is the first ever Moroccan to win the NBA championship ever with the Bucks in 2021. Lasry founded Avenue Capital Group with his sister, Sonia Gardner, as a global alternative investment manager focused on distressed and undervalued debt and equity opportunities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, and it has grown to one of the largest distressed debt investors globally, managing assets of approximately $13B. He is heralded as a pioneer in distressed investing, which has been the focus of his career, and his insights are sought-after for speaking events with Reuters Global Investment Summit, the SALT Conference, the Young President’s Organization, and more. A big sports fan and US sports industry leader, Lasry reportedly sold a 25% stake in the Milwaukee Bucks in 2023, when the team was valued at $3.5 billion.

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Will Mbiakop

ASCI Executive Chairman

Founder of the Game Time Summit A 20+ year veteran in the sports industry in Europe Middle East and Africa, Will Mbiakop is the founder and Executive Chairman of the African Sports and Creative Institute (ASCI), CEO of AMW, Founder of the Game Time Summit and investor. AMW is a strategic advisory firm focusing on sports monetization and investment. ASCI delivers business intelligence and capacity building programs, contributing to uplifting the sports & creative ecosystem in Africa. Previously, as head of Business Development for NBA Africa for about a decade, Mbiakop was instrumental in the growth of the NBA on the continent. As a speaker and well-respected subject matter expert, his insights on sports and creative industries, have been featured on CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg, AfreximBank, World Bank annual meetings and more. Mbiakop is a published author of 2 pioneering books in French and English: “Africa Sports Industry: Understanding the Game” & “Economie du Sport en Afrique”.

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Fouzi Lekjaa

Minister of Budget – President of Royal Moroccan Football Federation

Fouzi Lekjaa is a prominent Moroccan politician, government official, and sports administrator born on July 23, 1970. He has served as President of the Moroccan Royal Football Federation since 2014 and as the Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget since 2021. His international roles include membership in the executive committees of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA). He was honored with the Order of the Throne for leading Morocco's historic 2022 World Cup performance and was appointed to head the committee for Morocco's bid to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup.