November 19, (THEWILL) — Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi has been named African men’s player of the year, following a remarkable campaign in which he won the UEFA Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain.
The 27-year-old right-back claimed the honour for the first time on Wednesday, defeating Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, both previous recipients of the award.
Hakimi’s trophy cabinet expanded considerably last season with his fourth Ligue 1 title, the French Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup.
However, PSG finished as runners-up in the Club World Cup final in New York. The defender thanked his family, teammates, and Morocco manager Walid Regragui after receiving the award, calling it a prestigious honour.
Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie claimed her third consecutive women’s goalkeeper of the year award, cementing her status among the continent’s elite shot-stoppers.
The achievement marks an exceptional run of recognition for the young goalkeeper, who continues to impress at club and international level.
Morocco dominated the ceremony, with Ghizlane Chebbak winning best women’s player following her leading goal-scoring performance at the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations.
Yassine Bounou took the men’s goalkeeper award, whilst the Moroccan under-20 World Cup winners were named best men’s national team.
Watford midfielder Othmane Maamma, 20, and Doha El Madani collected the best young player prizes in their respective categories.
Cape Verde manager Bubista earned men’s coach of the year after guiding the island nation of 525,000 people to qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Hakimi will hope to recover from a severely sprained ankle in time to lead Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on December 21, with the hosts seeking their first title since 1976.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
