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AYO BADA
Achraf Hakimi of Morocco and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) has been crowned the 2025 Player of the Year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The 27-year-old was announced the winner of the gong at the gala held in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday night ahead of Mohamed Salah (Egypt, Liverpool) and Victor Osimhen (Nigeria, Galatasaray).
Hakimi replaces Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman as the best player on the continent.
He becomes the first Moroccan to win the award since Mustapha Hadji in 1998.
He had finished in second place for two consecutive years won by Nigeria’s Osimhen and Ademola Lookman respectively.
The young Moroccan was an influential player on the PSG side that won the Ligue 1 title, the French Cup, and the UEFA Champions League (UCL) in the 2024/25 season.
Hakimi is currently injured and limped to the stage to collect the gong.
Super Falcons captain Rasheedat Ajibade was beaten to the women’s Player of the Year award by Morocco’s Ghizlane Chebbak.
Ajibade led the Super Falcons of Nigeria to their 10th Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title. The team defeated Morocco in the final.
The Super Falcons were named the Women’s National Team of the Year.
It was yet another sweet outing for Falcons’ goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie who claimed the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper for the third year in a row.
