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.
CAF is yet to confirm the official date for the 2025 CAF Awards ceremony.
📌 Key 2025 CAF Awards Nominees:
🔸 Men’s Player of the Year
- Achraf Hakimi (Morocco & PSG)
- Mohamed Salah (Egypt & Liverpool)
- Victor Osimhen (Nigeria & Galatasaray)
- Pape Matar Sarr (Senegal & Tottenham)
- Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal & Everton)
- Fiston Mayele (DR Congo & Pyramids)
- Serhou Guirassy (Guinea & Borussia Dortmund)
- Denis Bouanga (Gabon & LAFC)
- Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Cameroon & Napoli)
- Oussama Lamlioui (Morocco & Renaissance Berkane)
🔸 Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year (Selected names)
- Yassine Bounou (Morocco & Al Hilal)
- Edouard Mendy (Senegal & Al-Ahli)
- Stanley Nwabali (Nigeria & Chippa United)
- Andre Onana (Cameroon & Trabzonspor)
- Ronwen Williams (South Africa & Mamelodi Sundowns)
🔸 Men’s Coach of the Year
- Bubista (Cape Verde)
- Walid Regragui (Morocco)
- Pape Thiaw (Senegal)
- Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco U20)
- Sami Trabelsi (Tunisia)
🔸 Men’s National Team of the Year
- Cape Verde
- Morocco U20
- Algeria
- Senegal
- South Africa
- Ghana
- Egypt
- Tunisia
- Ivory Coast
- Morocco
🔸 Women’s Player of the Year (Top nominees)
- Rasheedat Ajibade (Nigeria & PSG)
- Esther Okoronkwo (Nigeria & AFC Toronto)
- Barbra Banda (Zambia & Orlando Pride)
- Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi & Lyon)
- Portia Boakye (Ghana & Hapoel Petah Tikva)
