Achraf Hakimi has made history after being crowned CAF Men’s Player of the Year, becoming the first defender in 52 years to win Africa’s top individual honour.
The Paris Saint-Germain right-back beat Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen to the award at Wednesday night’s ceremony in Rabat.
The last defender to win was Zaire and TP Mazembe legend Bwanga Tshimen in 1973. Hakimi is also the first Moroccan since Mustapha Hadji (1998) to lift the award.
It caps off a sensational 2025 for the 27-year-old, who won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and reached the FIFA Club World Cup final with PSG.
He also helped lead Morocco to qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where he will be one of the tournament’s biggest stars.
Hakimi dedicated the award to Africans with football dreams. “This trophy is not just for me, but for all the strong men and women who dream of being a footballer in Africa. For everyone who believed in me since I was a child, thank you.”
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Born in Madrid, Hakimi has risen to become arguably the world’s best right-back, shining for Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan and now PSG.
Morocco dominated the night, with Ghizlane Chebbak winning CAF Women’s Player of the Year after finishing top scorer at WAFCON before earning a move to Al-Hilal.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou also won Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year, while Morocco’s U20 team collected Men’s National Team of the Year.
Nigeria celebrated too, with Chiamaka Nnadozie winning Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year for the third year running, having inspired the Super Falcons’ WAFCON triumph.
Other major winners included
Coach of the Year: Bubista (Cape Verde) – after guiding the nation to its first-ever World Cup qualification
Men’s Interclub Player: Fiston Mayele (Pyramids), top scorer in the CAF Champions League
Men’s Young Player: Othmane Maamma (Morocco U20)
Women’s Young Player: Doha El Madani (Morocco)
Men’s Club of the Year: Pyramids
Goal of the Year: Clement Mzize (Young Africans), via fan vote
The remaining women’s club and coaching awards will be revealed after the conclusion of the CAF Women’s Champions League in Egypt.
