RABAT, MOROCCO – Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi was named the 2025 Men's African Footballer of the Year at a glittering Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards ceremony on Wednesday, November 19. The event, held at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, marked a historic double for host nation Morocco, as Ghizlane Chebbak secured the Women's Player of the Year award.

In a significant moment for East African football, Kenyan President William Ruto was honoured with the CAF President’s Outstanding Achievement Award. The award recognised his administration's commitment to developing football, highlighted by Kenya's successful co-hosting of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN). Presidents Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda received the same honour for their roles in the successful regional collaboration. Kenya's Ambassador to Morocco, Jessica Gakinya, accepted the award on President Ruto's behalf.

A Landmark Year for Hakimi and Morocco

The 27-year-old Hakimi beat Liverpool's Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Nigeria's Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray to claim the continent's top individual prize. His victory ends a 27-year wait for a Moroccan winner, making him the first since Mustapha Hadji in 1998. Hakimi is also the first defender to win the prestigious award since Zaire's Bwanga Tshimen in 1973.

The award capped a phenomenal 2024/2025 season for Hakimi, who was instrumental in PSG's historic quadruple. The French club secured its first-ever UEFA Champions League title with a dominant 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final on May 31, 2025, a match in which Hakimi scored the opening goal. PSG also won the Ligue 1 title, the Coupe de France, and the Trophée des Champions. Their only blemish was a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the final of the inaugural expanded FIFA Club World Cup on July 13, 2025.

"It is really a proud moment for me to win this prestigious award," Hakimi said in his acceptance speech on Wednesday evening. "This trophy is not just for me, but all the strong men and women who have dreams of being a footballer in Africa."

Morocco's success extended beyond the top awards. Ghizlane Chebbak's win in the women's category came ahead of Nigeria's Rasheedat Ajibade and fellow Moroccan Sanaa Mssoudy. Yassine Bounou was named Men's Goalkeeper of the Year, Othmane Maamma won Men's Young Player of the Year, and the Morocco Under-20 side was recognised as the Men's National Team of the Year.

East Africa's Growing Influence

The recognition for President Ruto, alongside his Tanzanian and Ugandan counterparts, underscores a growing commitment to sports development within the East African region. CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe commended the leaders for their role in strengthening football structures and successfully hosting the CHAN tournament, which set "new standards for excellence." Football Kenya Federation (FKF) President Hussein Mohammed, who was present at the ceremony, expressed optimism that the government's support would soon see Kenyan players winning individual accolades at the continental level.

Other Key Winners

The awards celebrated talent from across the continent. Nigeria had a strong showing, with the Super Falcons named Women's National Team of the Year and Brighton & Hove Albion's Chiamaka Nnadozie winning Women's Goalkeeper of the Year for the third consecutive time. Cape Verde's Bubista was named Men's Coach of the Year after guiding the island nation to its first-ever World Cup qualification. Egypt's Pyramids FC was awarded Men's Club of the Year, with their striker Fiston Mayele from DR Congo winning the Men's Interclub Player of the Year.