Achraf Hakimi crowned African Footballer of the Year 2025

The glittering 2025 CAF Awards ceremony, held on Wednesday evening in Rabat, Morocco, highlighted the North African nation’s surging dominance in African football. Paris Saint-Germain’s dynamic right-back Achraf Hakimi claimed the spotlight by winning the CAF Men’s African Footballer of the Year title, edging out Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah in second place and Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy in third.

This victory capped a stellar campaign for the 27-year-old Moroccan, who played a pivotal role in PSG’s domestic and European triumphs, including the Ligue 1 crown and a hard-fought UEFA Champions League success. The sole disappointment came in the FIFA Club World Cup final, where PSG fell 2-1 to Chelsea at MetLife Stadium in New York, leaving Hakimi with runner-up honors despite his standout performances throughout the tournament.

Hakimi dedicates the moment to his support network

Visibly emotional upon receiving the award—his first major individual accolade since breaking out at Borussia Dortmund—Hakimi dedicated the moment to his support network. “Winning this means everything; it’s a dream for any African player,” he shared on stage, crediting his family, PSG squad-mates like Kylian Mbappé and Marquinhos, and Morocco’s national team coach Walid Regragui for their unwavering guidance. Yet, Hakimi’s joy is overshadowed by a nagging injury: a grade-two ankle ligament tear sustained during international duty last month. Morocco’s medical staff are optimistic about his availability for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), set to kick off on December 21 in the host country. Should he return to full fitness, the Atlas Lions’ talismanic defender could anchor their defense in a bid to end a 49-year drought for the continental title, last claimed in 1976 under coach Ammouta.

The event doubled as a testament to Morocco’s burgeoning football ecosystem, with the Atlas Lions’ infrastructure investments paying dividends across genders and age groups. In the women’s category, SAS El Bouregreg’s Ghizlane Chebbak triumphed as African Women’s Player of the Year, narrowly defeating compatriot Sanaa Mssoudy and Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala (though some early reports mistakenly listed Zambia’s Barbra Banda). Chebbak’s haul included the Golden Boot at the 2025 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations, where she netted five goals, even as Morocco succumbed 2-1 to Nigeria in the Marrakech final. Adding to the Moroccan haul, Al-Hilal’s Yassine Bounou lifted the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award for his penalty-saving heroics in Saudi Pro League matches and Morocco’s semifinal run at the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The nation’s U-20 side, fresh off a groundbreaking FIFA U-20 World Cup victory in Argentina—defeating England 3-1 in the final—earned Best Men’s National Team honors, signaling a robust youth development pipeline.

The accolades extended further: Watford’s prodigious 20-year-old central midfielder Othmane Maamma was crowned Best Young Male Player for his breakout season in the EFL Championship, tallying eight goals and 12 assists. Doha El Madani of AS FAR defended her title as Best Young Female Player, while Cape Verde’s Bubista was lauded as Men’s Coach of the Year for masterminding the archipelago’s improbable 2026 World Cup qualification from a population of under 600,000—highlighted by a dramatic 1-0 upset over Egypt. Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie sealed a trio of straight Women’s Goalkeeper awards, her reflexes pivotal in Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League campaign. Rounding out the individual honors, Tanzanian sensation Clement Nzigize of Young Africans scooped Goal of the Year for a thunderous 35-yard free-kick against Simba SC, presented by African icons Asamoah Gyan and Manucho amid a star-studded red carpet featuring arrivals from Samuel Eto’o to Didier Drogba.

Salah’s Snub Coincides with Liverpool’s Attacking Woes

For Salah, the runner-up finish marked a bitter pill, arriving amid Liverpool’s turbulent start to the 2025-26 Premier League season under Arne Slot. The Reds languish in eighth place after 11 matches, scraping together just 18 points with a meager goal difference of +1, as defensive lapses and profligacy up top have eroded their title-defending credentials. The Egyptian King’s trademark flair has dimmed; he’s averaging under two shots per game—down from 3.5 last term—and rarely ghosts into the box like his peak Anfield days. This slump isn’t isolated: The £310 million summer overhaul, headlined by record-breaking captures of Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz (£116m), Newcastle’s Alexander Isak (£125m), and PSG’s Hugo Ekitike (£69m), was meant to supercharge the attack but has instead bred chaos.