Morocco delivered one of its strongest statements yet on the African football stage as the nation swept multiple major honours at the CAF Awards 2025 held in Rabat. The highlight of the night was Achraf Hakimi’s groundbreaking victory as African Player of the Year — a historic feat that made him the first defender in over five decades to claim the continent’s most prestigious individual football prize.
Hakimi’s long-awaited triumph represented the culmination of an outstanding run for the Moroccan star. After narrowly missing out on the award in both 2023 and 2024 — where Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman edged him — the 27-year-old finally ascended to African football’s peak. His victory ends Morocco’s decades-long wait since Mustapha Hadji last brought the honour home in 1998, placing Hakimi among the very few defenders to achieve the accolade in the award’s modern era.
The ceremony, hosted at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, showcased Morocco’s rising football pedigree across both men’s and women’s categories. Ghizlane Chebbak earned the Women’s Player of the Year title, while Yassine Bounou was distinguished as Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year, reinforcing Morocco’s dominance.
Emerging Moroccan talent also took centre stage as Othmane Maamma clinched the Young Player of the Year award. On the women’s side, Doha El Madani secured the Women’s Young Player accolade, affirming the nation’s depth of future stars.
In the coaching category, Cape Verde’s Bubista was recognised as Coach of the Year, while Egypt’s Pyramids FC earned their first-ever Club of the Year award. Nigeria enjoyed its share of the spotlight as well — the Super Falcons emerged as Women’s Team of the Year, adding another continental honour to their record.
Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, who currently plays for Brighton, extended her dominance by winning the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year title for the third consecutive year, solidifying her reputation as one of Africa’s most consistent talents.
Full List of Winners – CAF Awards 2025
- Player of the Year (Men): Achraf Hakimi
- Player of the Year (Women): Ghizlane Chebbak
- Goalkeeper of the Year (Men): Yassine Bounou
- Goalkeeper of the Year (Women): Chiamaka Nnadozie
- Youth Player of the Year (Men): Othmane Maamma
- Women’s Youth Player of the Year: Doha El Madani
- Interclub Player of the Year: Ibrahim Mayele
- Women’s Interclub Player of the Year: Shamirah Nabbadda
- Coach of the Year (Men): Bubista
- Club of the Year (Men): Pyramids FC
- Team of the Year (Men): Morocco U-20 National Team
- Team of the Year (Women): Nigeria Women’s National Team (Super Falcons)
- Goal of the Year: Clement Mizize
- Referee of the Year (Men): Omar Abdulkadir Artan
- Referee of the Year (Women): Liban Abdulrazack
- Women’s Referee of the Year: Shamirah Nabbadda
- CAF Women’s Assistant Referee of the Year: Tabara Moodji
- CAF Assistant Referee of the Year (Men): Liban Abdulrazack
