Achraf Hakimi CAF player of the Year winner after a standout season for PSG and Morocco, ending a 27-year wait for a Moroccan champion

Achraf Hakimi’s remarkable rise reached a powerful milestone on Wednesday as he was crowned the Achraf Hakimi CAF Player of the Year, becoming only the second Moroccan in history to earn Africa’s most coveted individual football honour.

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The ceremony, held at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat, marked a defining moment for the 27-year-old Paris Saint-Germain full-back, who finally broke through after years of finishing agonisingly close.

He edged fierce competitors Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen to claim the prize.

Hakimi’s award comes on the back of a breathtaking 2024–25 season in which he played a decisive role in PSG’s extraordinary Champions League triumph.

His blend of defensive composure, blistering pace and attacking authority produced a season described by many observers as truly exceptional.

The defender registered five goals and four assists in the Champions League alone, earning him a place in the UEFA Team of the Season and a career-best sixth in the Ballon d’Or ranking.

Internationally, he captained Morocco to early World Cup qualification while extending the nation’s record unbeaten run to 16 matches, further solidifying his reputation as one of the world’s most complete modern full-backs.

His victory ends a long spell of West African dominance, with Nigeria lifting the last two awards through Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

Morocco had not celebrated a men’s Player of the Year winner since Mustapha Hadji’s triumph in 1998, making Hakimi’s achievement deeply symbolic for the host nation.

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The evening also saw several Moroccan successes across other categories, adding to the sense of national pride. For Hakimi personally, the honour underlines a career defined by relentless consistency, leadership and evolution, showing how collective success and European silverware now shape Africa’s football hierarchy.