Morocco lit up the continent last night as the 2025 CAF Awards delivered a clean sweep of headlines, most notably crowning Paris Saint-Germain superstar Achraf Hakimi as African Footballer of the Year. It was a night that reminded fans across the continent that North African football is enjoying a serious purple patch, while South Africans took to social media to debate the results after several local favourites walked away empty-handed.
A Year Where Hakimi Could Not Be Ignored
Hakimi’s win felt inevitable to many watchers of African football. At 27, he produced one of the most complete seasons of any African player in recent memory, lifting a jaw-dropping quadruple with PSG: the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, French Super Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
Fans online joked that “Hakimi didn’t just turn heads, he closed the awards ceremony before it even started.” Others praised his consistency and leadership, especially after spearheading Morocco’s push to stay among the continent’s elite.
He finished ahead of two other African giants in the conversation, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Galatasary’s Victor Osimhen, in a race that remained tight until the final weeks of the season.
South Africa’s Big Names Miss Out
For South Africans, the night was bittersweet. Bafana Bafana captain and Sundowns shot-stopper Ronwen Williams, who had a stellar year for both club and country, narrowly lost out on the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.
After a good performance at the FIFA Club World Cup, Williams helped secure qualification for AFCON 2025 and the 2026 FIFA World Cup and was one of the standout performers in Sundowns’ CAF Champions League campaign. He even made the shortlist for the FIFA Best XI Goalkeeper, making him one of the continent’s most decorated keepers heading into 2026.
But ultimately, Morocco’s Yassine Bounou – celebrated for his calm presence and world-class reflexes – walked away with the honour. Sundowns Women’s star Andile Dlamini also missed out, with Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie claiming the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year trophy.
Amajita defender Tylon Smith, still riding the wave of his move to QPR after a standout U20 AFCON run, was widely supported by South African fans online. Many were hopeful he would bag the CAF Young Player of the Year award. But the spotlight shifted to Morocco again as Othmane Maamma took the crown after winning the Golden Ball at the U20 FIFA World Cup.
A Northern Takeover
If one theme defined this year’s awards, it was Morocco’s dominance. From youth football to the senior game in both the men’s and womens teams, the nation’s rising talent and global influence were on full display.
Pyramids FC continued their strong continental presence, beating Mamelodi Sundowns to Men’s Club of the Year. Meanwhile, Fiston Mayele stole the show as Interclub Player of the Year after a brilliant CAF Champions League campaign.
Nigeria enjoyed key victories too, especially with Chiamaka Nnadozie winning Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year and the Super Falcons taking Women’s National Team of the Year.
Full List Of 2025 CAF Awards Winners
Men’s African Footballer of the Year: Achraf Hakimi (Morocco)
Women’s African Footballer of the Year: Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco)
Men’s Club of the Year: Pyramids
Men’s Coach of the Year: Bubista (Cape Verde)
Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria
Men’s National Team of the Year: Morocco U20
Men’s Interclub Player of the Year: Fiston Mayele (Pyramids)
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria)
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Yassine Bounou (Morocco)
Women’s Young Player of the Year: Doha El Madani (Morocco)
Men’s Young Player of the Year: Othmane Maamma (Morocco)
Goal of the Year: Clement Mzize
Women’s Referee of the Year: Samirah Nabadda (Uganda)
Women’s Assistant Referee of the Year: Tabara Mbodji (Senegal)
Men’s Referee of the Year: Omar Abdulkadir (Somalia)
Men’s Assistant Referee of the Year: Liban Abdoulrazack (Djibouti)
What The Results Mean For African Football
The 2025 edition of the CAF Awards sent a clear message: North African football is setting the pace, with Morocco in particular building a frighteningly strong pipeline from youth tournaments to the senior stage.
In South Africa, the conversation continues, with many praising Williams and Smith for representing the country with pride while urging CAF to consider broader representation in future awards.
Whether you agree with the final results or not, one thing is certain: African football is in a thrilling era of growth, identity and global recognition.
Source: iDiski Times and CAF Online
Featured Image Source: CAF_Online on X
Read more: Achraf Hakimi Voted African Player on the Year on soccermag
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