Morocco sweeps the CAF awards
Moroccan football is in vogue thanks to its quality, high standard and good performance in recent years.
The good results of the Moroccan national football team, semi-finalists in the last World Cup in Qatar and undisputed leaders in their qualifying groups for the next African Cup of Nations and the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the excellent performance of Moroccan players in various important clubs are highlighting the very high level of Moroccan football, both at senior and junior levels.
This high level was reflected in the annual awards ceremony of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), held at a gala in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.
Several world football stars and important leaders were present at the 2025 CAF awards ceremony in Rabat. The ceremony was presided over by Gianni Infantino, president of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), which is the highest governing body of world football, and Patrice Motsepe, president of the African Football Confederation.
Morocco swept the board at the ceremony, winning virtually all the major awards. Achraf Hakimi, defender for Paris Saint Germain and the Moroccan national team, was voted African Player of the Year at the CAF gala, Ghizlane Chebbak, striker for Al Hilal and the Moroccan national team, was named African Player of the Year, Yassine Bounou, goalkeeper for Al Hilal and the Moroccan national team, was voted African Goalkeeper of the Year, and Morocco's U-20 national team was named African Team of the Year. Othmane Maamma, striker for Watford and the Moroccan national team, was named best young African player, and Doha El Madani, striker for ASFAR Rabat and the Moroccan women's national team, was named best young player of 2025.
Achraf Hakimi
Achraf Hakimi, 27, was the star of the show when he was named African Player of the Year for the first time in his career at the 2025 CAF Awards Gala. This is a distinguished award, as the list of previous winners includes great footballers such as Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen, Sadio Mane, Mohammed Salah, Riyad Mahrez, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba, Emmanuel Adebayor, Frederic Kanoute, El Hadji Diouf, Patrick M'Boma, Nwankwo Kanu, Mustapha Hadji, Victor Ikpeba, George Weah, Emmanuel Amunike, Rashidi Yekini and Abedi Pele.
Achraf Hakimi is the first Moroccan player to win the African Footballer of the Year award in the 21st century, the previous winner being Mustapha Hadji in 1998, and the first defender to achieve this, as previous winners up to 1992 had always been forwards or midfielders, positions that are much more visible in the world of football. Achraf Hakimi's success is therefore all the more impressive given that he plays at right-back, a position from which it is more difficult to shine, although he does so thanks to his attacking and vertical style of play.
In addition to his attractive style of play, Achraf Hakimi has won important titles with French club Paris Saint Germain. The Moroccan full-back won the Champions League, the European Super Cup, the French League and the French Cup, and helped Morocco qualify for the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico and for the next edition of the African Cup of Nations to be held in Morocco, with excellent results.
In 55 matches played with the French champions, Achraf Hakimi scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists, becoming an indispensable player for coach Luis Enrique due to his crucial role in both attack and defence.
Achraf Hakimi beat two great figures of African and world football, Nigeria's Victor Osimhen and Egypt's Mohammed Salah, who had won the award in previous editions.
The award recognises the great work of Achraf Hakimi, who is currently suffering from a serious ankle injury caused by a tackle from Bayern Munich's Colombian striker Luis Díaz in a Champions League match. The player did not want to miss the ceremony and appeared accompanied by his mother, travelling by scooter as he was unable to put weight on his injured foot.
Ghizlane Chebbak, Yassine Bounou, Othmane Maamma and Doha El Madani
Ghizlane Chebbak won the award for African Player of the Year. The Moroccan footballer from Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia won the award for the first time in her career, beating fellow Moroccan Sanaa Mssoudy and Nigerian Rasheedat Ajibade, confirming her excellent 2025 both at club level and with the Moroccan national team.
Ghizlane Chebbak is linked to a very important name in Moroccan football, as her father, Larbi Chebbak, was a prominent Moroccan player for the national team in the 1970s.
The gala also recognised Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, also a player for Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal, as the best African goalkeeper of the year, while Nigeria's Chiamaka Nnadozie was named best goalkeeper for the third consecutive time
The award for best young player in Africa went to Othmane Maamma, a Moroccan striker for English club Watford, whose spectacular U-20 World Cup with Morocco saw him score one goal, provide four assists and make decisive performances, including in the semi-final against France, in a tournament that Morocco went on to win in Chile after beating Argentina 2-0 in the final with two goals from Yassir Zabiri.
The award for best young female player went to Morocco's Doha El Madani for the second consecutive year. The ASFAR Rabat striker had a great season with her club and the U-20 women's national team.
Other awards
On the other hand, on the bench, Cape Verdean Pedro Leitao Brito, better known as Bubista, was voted African Coach of the Year for leading Cape Verde to its first World Cup, a historic achievement for the island nation.
Meanwhile, Tanzanian Clement Mzize of TP Mazembe won the award for best goal of the year 2025.
In terms of teams, the award for best men's team went to Morocco's U-20 team, after achieving the great milestone of winning the World Cup in that category in Chile, and the award for best women's team went to the Nigerian team. Another recognition awarded to Morocco at the 2025 CAF awards gala
The award for best men's club of the year went to Pyramids of Egypt.
Meanwhile, the award for best interclub player went to Fiston Mayele, a player from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Pyramids of Egypt.
The award for best referee went to Omar Abdulkadir of Somalia, and the award for best female referee went to Samirah Nabadda of Uganda.