Moroccan Atlas Lion Achraf Hakimi, star of Paris Saint-German club, has been crowned African Footballer of the Year at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards ceremony organized Wednesday in Rabat.
The Moroccan international topped the voting by a panel of experts which includes members of CAF technical committee in addition to African media professionals, players, and coaches.
The PSG fullback earned the African title after winning the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Ligue 1 and Coupe de France. Hakimi becomes the first Moroccan to win the award since Mustapha Hadji in 1998.
Achraf Hakimi has also been named among the 30 contenders for Globe Soccer’s prestigious Best Player of the Year 2025 award, whose 16th edition will take place on December 28, 2025, in Dubai, bringing together all nominees and prominent figures from the world of football.
In addition, he won the 2025 Golden Lion Award, following a vote organized by Moroccan newspaper ‘Al Mountakhab,’ with the participation of 57 media outlets.This is the second consecutive win for the Atlas Lions right-back.
He hopes to be fit to join the Atlas Lions during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Morocco after damaging ankle ligaments in the Champions League tie with Bayern Munich.
Moroccan captain Ghizlane Chebbak won the women’s prize. She is the first Moroccan woman to win the African Footballer of the Year award. The 35-year-old midfielder finished as the top scorer at this year’s delayed 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, including netting a stunning goal in the final.
Chebbak has been a model of consistency for club and country in 2025 and was the leading scorer at CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July, where Morocco finished runners-up to Nigeria.
Moroccan Yassine Bounou has been named African Goalkeeper of the Year. His countryman Othmane Maamma won the Men’s Young Player of the Year award. Another Moroccan, Doha El Madani retained the Women’s Young Player of the Year honor.
Morocco’s U-20 team won Men’s National Team of the Year after making history in Chile, becoming the first Arab and African team to win a World Cup in this category. Moroccans dominated this year CAF Awards, winning in total six trophies.
