Wednesday 19 November 2025
by inAfrika Newsroom
Hakimi Salah Osimhen headline the final three-player shortlist for Africa’s main football award, the 2025 CAF Player of the Year. The winner will be announced at a gala in Rabat on 19 November.
Achraf Hakimi again led from the back for club and country. He captained Morocco and drove Paris Saint-Germain through a historic season. The club finally lifted its first Champions League title and secured a domestic treble. Moreover, Hakimi added goals, assists and constant pressure on the right flank.
Mohamed Salah steered Liverpool’s title run in England. He finished the league campaign with 29 goals and 18 assists. Therefore, he collected the Golden Boot, the Playmaker award and the players’ union prize. Salah already holds two CAF crowns from 2017 and 2018. Now he seeks a third Africa football award to confirm his era.
Victor Osimhen powered Galatasaray’s attack in Turkey. He scored 26 league goals and added decisive strikes in cup matches. Consequently, the club clinched a domestic double. Osimhen also remains central to Nigeria’s plans as the World Cup cycle continues. He already owns one CAF award from his title-winning season in Italy.
The Hakimi Salah Osimhen trio shows how far African players have pushed the global game. Their form in Europe’s top leagues shapes transfer values and media coverage. It also attracts scouts to academies in North, West and Central Africa.
For young players, the Africa football award shortlist sends a clear message. Consistent club performance, plus national-team impact, brings recognition and long careers. In addition, their stories may push federations to invest more in youth systems, coaching and sports science. That, in turn, can lift standards in local leagues and national teams.
The Rabat ceremony will also honour the best goalkeeper, coach and interclub player. Shortlists include title-winning stoppers and managers from recent continental and global tournaments.
After the ceremony, Hakimi Salah Osimhen will return to busy club calendars. However, the result will follow them into future contract talks, sponsorships and national-team camps. For fans, the 2025 Africa football award race underlines that African talent now sits at the centre of world football narratives, not at the margins.
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