Achraf Hakimi has made history as the first defender in more than five decades to be named African Footballer of the Year. The Paris Saint-Germain right back finished ahead of Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen at the 2025 CAF Awards in Rabat, Morocco.
The 26-year-old was instrumental in PSG’s record-breaking 2025 season, helping the club secure its first-ever UEFA Champions League title with a 5-0 victory over Inter Milan, alongside winning Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, and the UEFA Super Cup.
“This trophy is not just for me but all the strong men and women who have dreams of being a footballer in Africa,” Hakimi said. “And for those that always believed in me since I was a child… I would like to thank them all.”
ALSO READ: Manchester United faces legal action over historic abuse allegation
Hakimi is the first Moroccan to claim the award since Mustapha Hadji in 1998, and the first defender since Bwanga Tshimen of Zaire in 1973. He also achieved a historic sixth-place finish in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, the highest ever for a Moroccan.
Other notable winners included Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who was named men’s Goalkeeper of the Year, Ghizlane Chebbak as Women’s Footballer of the Year, and Nigerian goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, who won the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year for a third consecutive time.
Cape Verde’s manager Bubista received Coach of the Year honors after leading the small island nation to its first-ever World Cup qualification.