At the 2025 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards in Rabat, Moroccan right-back Achraf Hakimi was named African Player of the Year, becoming the first defender to win the prestigious honour in 52 years.
Hakimi, 27, edged out finalists Mohamed Salah (Egypt) and Victor Osimhen (Nigeria) after a stellar season with Paris Saint‑Germain (PSG) and the Moroccan national team.
His output in 2024-25 included leading PSG to their first UEFA Champions League title, capturing the Ligue 1 crown, the Coupe de France and the UEFA Super Cup. He also registered noteworthy goal contributions for a defender.
Hakimi’s victory marks several significant firsts: the first Moroccan to win the award since Mustapha Hadji in 1998, and the first defender since Bwanga Tshimen of Zaire (now DR Congo) in 1973.
In his acceptance speech, Hakimi said the award was not just a personal achievement but a symbol of African aspiration. “This trophy is for all the strong men and women who have dreams of being a footballer in Africa,” he said. “And for those who always believed in me since I was a child.”
The 2025 ceremony reflected a broader Moroccan ascendancy in African football. Alongside Hakimi, other Moroccan winners included the Women’s Player of the Year, deepening the sense of a national sporting rise. The full list of recipients spans players, clubs, referees and heads of state recognised for their role in developing the game across the continent.
Hakimi’s achievement will be hailed not only in Morocco but across Africa as proof that defenders, often under-recognised, can dominate the continent’s top individual accolades when their performances combine defensive solidity with attacking dynamism.
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