Hakimi & Salah Lead 2025 CAF Awards

News DeskOctober 22, 2025

2 minutes read

Achraf Hakimi and Mohamed Salah headline the 2025 African Footballer of the Year shortlist
Salah won the Premier League Golden Boot; Hakimi lifted the Champions League with PSG
Victor Osimhen, 2023 winner, returns to the top 10 list

Achraf Hakimi and Mohamed Salah headline the 10-man shortlist for the 2025 African Footballer of the Year award, as announced by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Hakimi enjoyed a standout season with Paris Saint-Germain, helping the club secure a domestic league and cup double, along with the UEFA Champions League title. Salah, meanwhile, clinched the Premier League Golden Boot, playing a pivotal role in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign.

The shortlist also features standout performers like Everton forward Iliman Ndiaye and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, who helped Senegal qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray & Nigeria), the 2023 winner, is also in contention.

Rounding out the list are:

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon)
Fiston Mayele (DR Congo)
Denis Bouanga (Gabon)
Serhou Guirassy (Guinea)
Oussama Lamlioui (Morocco)

Salah previously won the award in 2017 and 2018, while Hakimi finished as runner-up in the last two editions. Notably, 2024 winner Ademola Lookman did not make the cut this year.

The nominees were selected by a panel of experts appointed by CAF, assessing performances between January 6 and October 15, 2025.

Additional Highlights:

Cape Verde coach Bubista is nominated for Men’s Coach of the Year after guiding the team to its first-ever FIFA World Cup qualification.
The Cape Verde national team is also shortlisted for Men’s National Team of the Year, along with Morocco U20, recent U-20 World Cup winners.
On the women’s side, Esther Okoronkwo and Rasheedat Ajibade of Nigeria lead the shortlist for Women’s Player of the Year, announced earlier.