CAF Awards: Acharf Hakimi eyes Player of the Year win over Ademola Lookman

By Monsurah Olatunji

Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi is eager to secure his first-ever CAF Player of the Year award, with the prestigious accolade set to be presented on December 16 in Morocco.

The Moroccan international has been nominated alongside some of Africa’s top football talent for the highly anticipated award.

This marks the second consecutive year that Hakimi has received the nomination, following a close contest in 2023, where he was pipped to the title by Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen.

Despite fierce competition, Hakimi remains optimistic about his chances, especially as the award will be held on home soil in Morocco.

Hakimi faces strong competition from several notable players, including Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, who has been in exceptional form for both club and country.

Lookman’s standout achievements this year include helping Atalanta secure their first-ever European title, making history as the first player to score a hat-trick in a UEFA Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.

While Lookman is currently seen as the frontrunner for the award, Hakimi is determined to make his mark. Speaking to Brut, Hakimi expressed his pride at being nominated, emphasizing the personal significance of the recognition.

“It’s a source of pride and satisfaction, especially knowing that the work I’ve put in over the years is being recognized,” Hakimi said.

“This is an important individual award, but I’m just happy to be here. Of course, I hope to win it, but if not, being nominated motivates me to keep working hard.”

The 2024 CAF Player of the Year award will see Hakimi vie for the top honor against a competitive field, which includes Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra, South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and Nigeria’s Lookman.

Hakimi’s nomination is a testament to his consistent performances and his significant impact at both the club and international levels. With the award ceremony taking place in Morocco, Hakimi will be aiming to cap off a remarkable year with a historic win on home turf.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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