Breaking: Hakimi crowned CAF Men’s African Footballer of the Year

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Achraf Hakimi has been crowned the 2025 CAF Men’s Player of the Year, ending years of near-misses and becoming only the second Moroccan and the first in 27 years, to claim Africa’s most prestigious individual honour.

The Paris Saint-Germain right-back, 27, received the award on Wednesday evening at a star-studded ceremony at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat, edging out two-time winner Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool) and 2023 recipient Victor Osimhen (Nigeria/Galatasaray) in a fiercely contested final three.

Hakimi’s triumph marks the culmination of a sensational 2024-25 campaign that saw him play a pivotal role in PSG’s historic first UEFA Champions League title, alongside a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double, the Trophée des Champions, and the UEFA Super Cup.

His marauding runs, defensive solidity, and clutch contributions, including five goals and four assists in the Champions League alone, earned him widespread acclaim, a place in the UEFA Team of the Season, the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize as the best African in Ligue 1, and a career-high sixth place in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting.

On the international stage, the Atlas Lions captain helped Morocco secure early qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup while extending their record unbeaten run to 16 matches.

Hakimi’s leadership and versatility have redefined the modern full-back, blending world-class attacking output with defensive discipline.

The victory ends a run of West African dominance in the category-Nigeria had claimed the last two editions through Osimhen and Ademola Lookman and delivers Morocco its first men’s Player of the Year crown since Mustapha Hadji in 1998.

It also capped a memorable evening for the host nation, with the Atlas Lions collecting multiple honours across categories.

Hakimi’s coronation further cements his status as one of the planet’s elite defenders and signals a changing of the guard in African football, where collective triumphs and European silverware increasingly outweigh individual goal tallies.