Moroccan superstar Achraf Hakimi secured the prestigious 2025 African Player of the Year award at the CAF Awards ceremony held Wednesday evening in Rabat, Morocco.
The honor was presented to the defender by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was in attendance. Hakimi’s victory follows one of the most decorated seasons in history for an African defender. His phenomenal year included a sweep of major titles with Paris Saint-Germain: the Champions League, Ligue 1, the Coupe de France, the Trophée des Champions, and the UEFA Super Cup.
Beyond club success, Hakimi was instrumental in the Atlas Lions’ remarkable qualification for the 2026 World Cup. He finished the season with an impressive tally of 11 goals and 17 assists in 55 matches, performances that earned him a spot in the top 10 of the highly coveted Ballon d’Or rankings. Hakimi succeeds Mustafa Hadji, the last Moroccan player to win the award, in 1998.
Morocco celebrated a major haul of individual and team awards throughout the gala, reflecting the nation’s rising football dominance: African Women’s Player of the Year: Ghizlane Chebbak, Captain of the Atlas Lionesses. African Goalkeeper of the Year: Yassine Bounou (Moroccan national team and Al Hilal, Saudi Arabia). Best Young Player of the Year (Male): Othmane Maamma, the Watford striker who was named best player of the U20 World Cup, which Morocco won in Chile last October. Best Young Player of the Year (Female): Doha Madani, a member of the Moroccan club AS FAR.
Morocco also claimed the Men’s National Team of the Year award for the Moroccan U-20 team, celebrating their victory in the 2025 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Other major awards included: Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria, following their victory in the last Africa Cup of Nations. Club of the Year: Egyptian side Pyramids FC, the reigning CAF Champions League title holders. Interclub Player of the Year: Congolese international Fiston Mayele, also of Pyramids FC. Goal of the Year: Tanzanian Clement Mzize.
AK/ac/Sf/fss/abj/APA