PSG star Hakimi proud to be named African Footballer of the Year

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Achraf Hakimi expressed immense pride and gratitude after he was named African Footballer of the Year on Wednesday at the 2025 CAF Awards in Rabat, Morocco.

Hakimi, who is out for months with an ankle injury, showed up wearing a protective boot and picked up the topmost award of the night at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P).

“It is really a proud moment for me to win this prestigious award,” Hakimi said. “This trophy is not just for me, but for all the strong men and women who have dreams of being a footballer in Africa. And for those that always believed in me since I was a child, that I would be a professional footballer one day. I would like to thank them all.”

Moroccan right back Hakimi was rewarded for a trophy-laden 2025 with PSG, in which he claimed the Champions League, Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France and UEFA Super Cup.

He is the first Moroccan to win the award since midfielder Mustapha Hadji in 1998, and the first defender since Zaire centre back Bwanga Tshimen in 1973.