Achraf Hakimi crowned a dream year by winning the CAF Men’s Player of the Year award at a glittering 2025 CAF Awards ceremony in Rabat, Morocco.
The Paris Saint-Germain right back beat Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and prolific forward Victor Osimhen to the continent’s top individual prize after a remarkable season for club and country.
Hakimi was a key figure in PSG’s Champions League triumph, adding Ligue 1, Coupe de France and the UEFA Super Cup to complete a richly decorated campaign for the French giants.
His dynamic runs down the right flank, defensive solidity and big game influence made him one of the most decisive players in Europe, and CAF voters duly recognised his impact.
The award also ends Morocco’s long wait for this honour, with Hakimi becoming the first Moroccan winner of the men’s prize since Mustapha Hadji in 1998 and the first defender to take it in more than half a century.
Hakimi’s compatriot Ghizlane Chebbak completed a famous double for the host nation in the women’s category.
Chebbak, captain and talisman of the Atlas Lionesses, was named CAF Women’s Player of the Year after another outstanding spell at international and club level.
The forward has been central to Morocco’s rise as a new powerhouse in the women’s game, inspiring deep runs at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and earning a high-profile move abroad in recent seasons.
Their twin victories capped a night dominated by Moroccan success, with the packed audience at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University treated to emotional acceptance speeches and a vibrant celebration of African football culture.
The result also fuels debate around the next wave of African stars, with Salah and Osimhen still at their peak, yet now chased by a hungry Moroccan-led generation.
For Hakimi, this continental crown feels like the natural next step after lifting Europe’s biggest trophies.
For Chebbak, it underlines her status as one of the most complete forwards on the continent. And for Morocco, it is confirmation that the country’s recent investments in elite football are paying off in silverware, global recognition and a new generation of heroes inspiring young boys and girls across Africa.
