Paris Saint Germain right-back Achraf Hakimi has expressed delight after winning the 2025 CAF Men’s Player of the Year Award.
The defender claimed the prestigious award in a dominant night for Morocco at the 2025 award ceremony held on Wednesday night in Rabat, Morocco.
Hakimi, 27, finished second in the 2024 edition, but won the highly-coveted award this time around, beating Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen to the win.
It capped a remarkable year for the 27-year-old who played an instrumental role in PSG’s historic UEFA Champions League triumph as part of a treble-winning campaign.
The Morocco captain opened scoring in the 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the final and won five trophies in total with the French club, while also completing an unbeaten year with the national team.
“It is really a proud moment for me to win this prestigious award,” Hakimi said.
“This trophy is not just for me, but all the strong men and women who have dreams of being a footballer in Africa.
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 became the first defender to win the honors since Democratic Republic of Congo’s defender Bwanga Tshimen, who won it in 1973.
He also became the first Moroccan to win the prestigious award since Mustapha Hadji in 1998.
Ghizlane Chebbak won the player of the year award in the women’s category, beating countrywoman Sanaa Mssoudy and Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade to the award.
Chiamaka Nnadozie and Yassine Bounou won the goalkeeper of the year award for the male and female categories respectively, while Morocco U20 team was awarded the men’s national team of the year.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
