Paris Saint-Germain football club and Moroccan football star
Achraf Hakimi was awarded the coveted CAF Men's Player of the Year award in
Rabat, Morocco.
The award caps his stellar season that saw him anchor Paris
Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 triumph and 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The 27-year-old full-back, whose fast pace and good crosses
have redefined defensive football, edged out a formidable field at the 2025 CAF
Awards, held in the shadow of Morocco's historic city.
Hakimi's victory marks a historic first for a Moroccan since
Riyad Mahrez's 2016 win, breaking a streak dominated by West African stars.
The finalists included Nigeria's Victor Osimhen, fresh off a
Serie A Golden Boot with Napoli; Egypt's Mohamed Salah, whose Liverpool
resurgence yielded 28 goals and 18 assists; and Senegal's Nicolas Jackson,
Chelsea's breakout forward with 21 Premier League strikes.
Voting by a panel of journalists, coaches, and national team
captains tipped the scales 38 per cent to Hakimi, ahead of Osimhen's 29 per cent, Salah's 22 per cent,
and Jackson's 11 per cent.
This accolade follows a trio of Nigerian dominations in recent years.
Ademola Lookman, also of Nigeria, lifted the trophy in 2024 after his Europa League heroics with Atalanta.
Before him, Victor Osimhen repeated as winner in 2023, powering Napoli to Scudetto glory, while Sadio Mané of Senegal took the 2022 honors amid Bayern Munich's Bundesliga charge.
Hakimi's win signals a shift from West Africa, proving North Africa's rising football prowess.
On stage, flanked by CAF President Dr.
Patrice Motsepe and FIFA's Gianni Infantino, Hakimi's voice cracked with
emotion as he accepted the gleaming award.
"This isn't just for me but for every kid in Morocco's
medinas who dreams under streetlights, for the Atlas Lions who roared at the
World Cup, and for Africa, our beautiful, unbreakable continent," he said,
drawing thunderous applause from the participants.
He added, "Football taught me resilience, from Ajax's
youth academy to Real Madrid's Bernabéu, and now PSG's Parc des Princes. To my
competitors—Victor, Mo, Nico—you push me to be better. Let's keep lifting
Africa higher.''
The award, first started in 1992, has crowned legends like Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Touré.
For Hakimi, it's validation after near-misses in
2021 and 2023.
President William Ruto was awarded by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with the Outstanding Achievement Award 2025.
The award is in recognition of Ruto's significant contribution to the development and growth of football in Kenya and on the continent, showing the growing connection between governance and sports.
The accolade, presented on Wednesday evening in Rabat, Morocco, recognises Ruto's unwavering commitment to elevating football infrastructure and development in East Africa and beyond.
The 2025 CAF Awards gala was hosted under the patronage of CAF President Patrice Motsepe.
