In France’s Ligue 1, one of the top five leagues in the world, Moroccan full-back Achraf Hakimi has been named the African Player of the Year.
The Marc-Vivien Foé Award, presented by FRANCE 24 and RFI, was given to the 26-year-old for his outstanding performances.
Hakimi played a key role in Paris Saint-Germain’s league title victory and their progression to the Champions League final. In the voting process, he beat Ivorian forward Evann Guessand of Nice and Senegalese midfielder Habib Diarra of Strasbourg.
He succeeds Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon, who won the prize in 2024 while playing for Marseille.
The award is named after Marc-Vivien Foé, the late Cameroonian footballer who was a two-time African champion. Foé tragically passed away on the field in 2003 during a match for his national team in France.
Hakimi also becomes only the second defender ever to win the award. The first was Chancel Mbemba of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who received the honor in 2023.