Achraf Hakimi has been crowned the 2025 African Footballer of the Year at the Confederation of African Football Awards in Rabat. The Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco right-back edged out Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen to claim the honor. Hakimi becomes the first Moroccan winner since Mustapha Hadji in 1998.
Achraf Hakimi received the 2025 African Footballer of the Year award at the CAF Awards ceremony in Rabat on Wednesday. The 27-year-old full-back beat Egypt's Mohamed Salah and Nigeria's Victor Osimhen to the prize, marking a significant achievement for Moroccan football.
Hakimi's standout year included helping Paris Saint-Germain secure a domestic treble in Ligue 1 and their first-ever Champions League title. On the international stage, he contributed to Morocco qualifying for a third successive World Cup finals.
"It’s really an honour for me to win this prestigious trophy," Hakimi said. "This trophy is not just for me – it is for all the Africans that have dreams."
The evening was successful for Morocco, as captain Ghizlane Chebbak won the women's award ahead of Nigeria's Rasheedat Ajibade and teammate Sanaa Mssoudy.
Currently recovering from an injury sustained in a Champions League match against Bayern Munich earlier this month, Hakimi faces a race to be fit for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, hosted in Morocco from December to January. Ivory Coast are the defending champions, while Egypt hold the record with seven titles.