Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi was named African Footballer of the Year at the 2025 CAF Awards in Rabat on Wednesday, capping a season in which he lifted the UEFA Champions League with his club Paris St Germain.
The 27-year-old also won a fourth Ligue 1 title last season and claimed the French Cup and UEFA Super Cup. However, PSG came up short in the final of the Club World Cup as Hakimi was forced to settle for a runners-up medal in New York.
The right-back beat out two past winners in Liverpool’s Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen to become the first defender to claim the prize in 52 years.
He is the first Moroccan to win the award since midfielder Mustapha Hadji in 1998, and the first defender since Zaire centre back Bwanga Tshimen in 1973.
“It’s really an honour for me to be here today and I’m proud to win such a prestigious trophy,” Hakimi said, before thanking his family, team-mates and Morocco coach Walid Regragui.
“This trophy, it’s not just for me, it’s for all the strong men and women that have dreams in Africa and those that dream of becoming footballers. And for those that always believed in me since I was a child, that I would be a professional footballer one day. I would like to thank them all.”
Hakimi is currently nursing a severely sprained ankle but, if fit, will lead hosts Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations from December 21 as they seek to win the competition for the first time since 1976.
Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak claimed the prize for the best women’s player on the continent, beating out fellow countrywoman Sanaa Mssoudy and Nigerian Rasheedat Ajibade.
The Al Hilal attacker was the leading scorer in the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations this year, although her side went down to Nigeria in the decider.
It was a bumper day for the ceremony’s host country Morocco as Yassine Bounou scooped up the best men’s goalkeeper award and the Moroccan under-20 World Cup-winning side was voted best men’s national team.
Watford’s 20-year-old Othmane Maamma of Morocco claimed best young men’s player, while compatriot Doha El Madani retained the title of best young women’s player.
The Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year was claimed for the third time in a row by Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, who recently made the move to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Women’s Super League.
Bubista from Cape Verde won the Coach of the Year after leading the tiny island nation with a population of 525,000 to a debut appearance at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada next year.
