Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi has been named the 2025 African Footballer of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The Paris Saint-Germain star beat Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen to become the first defender to claim the award since Bwanga Tshimen of Zaire in 1973.
Hakimi is also the first Moroccan to win Africa’s top individual honour since Mustapha Hadji in 1998.
“It is really a proud moment for me to win this prestigious award,” Hakimi said during his acceptance speech. He dedicated the trophy to aspiring African footballers and to everyone who believed in his journey from childhood.
The accolade crowns an exceptional 2025 for Hakimi, a year in which he won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, French Ligue 1, and Coupe de France, and reached the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. He also played a key role in helping Morocco qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
