The 2025 CAF Awards was a memorable night of African football celebration, with Morocco dominating the ceremony by winning a staggering six major prizes — the most of any country.
From senior stars Achraf Hakimi, Ghizlane Chebbak, and Yassine Bounou to rising talents Doha El Madani and Othmane Maama, Moroccan football shone across most categories. The night also gave well-deserved recognition to other top performers from Nigeria, Cape Verde, DR Congo and Egypt. Here are all the winners:
Goal of the Year — Clement Mzize (Tanzania)
The opening prize of the night , and the only one that actually came down to fan-votes , was the Goal of the Year award, which ended up being claimed by Clement Mzize from Tanzania. His opening night long-range strike for Young Africans against TP Mazembe in the Champions League of course got him that prestigious award.
CAF Women’s Young Player of the Year — Doha El Madani (Morocco)
The ceremony opened with Morocco’s first triumph as Doha El Madani was named CAF Women’s Young Player of the Year.
Unable to be there in person because AS FAR were gearing up to take on Egypt in the CAF Women’s Champions League final, El Madani instead appeared on a video message, thanking her teammates and the staff at AS FAR for all their backing. Her win really set the tone for the rest of the evening, which turned out to be quite a Moroccan affair.
CAF Men’s Young Player of the Year — Othmane Maama (Morocco)
It didn’t take long for Morocco to be celebrated again as Othmane Maama, a U20 World Cup winner, was named CAF Men’s Young Player of the Year.
Taking the stage to accept his award, Maama tipped his hat to his coach Mohamed Ouahbi, his U20 teammates and his parents, describing the World Cup win and his CAF award as a dream come true.
Men’s National Team of the Year — Morocco U20 Team
Fresh off their historic U20 World Cup victory, Morocco’s U20 team picked up the award for CAF Men’s Team of the Year, getting the better of their own senior team and Cape Verde along the way. Their phenomenal performances and their global win made them one of the most celebrated sides of this CAF awards evening.
CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year — Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria)
Nigerian international Chiamaka Nnadozie earned the title of CAF Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year. She thanked the Nigerian Football Federation, her club Brighton & Hove Albion, the Super Falcons, and her family — calling them the foundation of her success.
CAF Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year — Yassine Bounou (Morocco)
One of the night’s most emotional moments: Yassine Bounou is now officially CAF Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year. A huge relief for the Moroccan who’s been waiting for years for this moment to come.
He dedicated the award to His Majesty the King, the Moroccan people, and his family, thanking everyone who has supported him at club and national level.
CAF Men’s Coach of the Year — Bubista (Cape Verde)
Cape Verde’s head coach Bubista (Pedro Leitão Brito), took home the top coach honours at the CAF awards, after leading his country to its first-ever World Cup qualification.
He dedicated the award to his team, his staff, his family as well as the people of Cape Verde “a small country with big hearts.” The other coaches in the running were Morocco U20 coach Mohamed Ouahbi and Morocco senior team coach Walid Regragui.
Interclub Player of the Year — Fiston Mayele (DR Congo)
It’s been an amazing year for DR Congo forward Fiston Mayele the star of Pyramids FC who took home the CAF Interclub Player of the Year title. He made all the difference for his team by helping them win their first-ever CAF Champions League and CAF Super Cup title.
African Club of the Year — Pyramids FC (Egypt)
Following their first-ever CAF Champions League triumph, Egypt’s Pyramids FC were named African Club of the Year, completing a remarkable rise on the continental stage.
CAF Women’s Player of the Year — Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco)
The ceremony started to reach its climax, when Moroccan midfielder Ghizlane Chebbak took home the CAF Women’s Player of the Year award, and in doing so she made her own piece of history, becoming the very first Moroccan woman to ever get her hands on this prize.
Chebbak made a point of thanking His Majesty the King, her family, and Federation President Fouzi Lekjaa, and just before signing off, she offered some words of encouragement to young African girls out there telling them to never give up on their dreams. Then with a quiet confidence, she let slip that she is absolutely convinced that Morocco is on its way to becoming the best in the world.
Her 2022 season was simply top tier. It included being the top scorer spot at WAFCON 2024, helping Morocco reach the final.
Achraf Hakimi Wins CAF Men’s Player of the Year (Morocco)
Achraf Hakimi — the man of the hour — was crowned CAF Men’s Player of the Year in the night’s final and most highly anticipated CAF Awards prize. Hakimi took the stage on an electric scooter, thanks to his injury, and gave a moving speech. He said, “It’s an honor for me to win this great prize. This is a prize for everyone, including children who dream to become football players in the world.” He thanked His Majesty King Mohammed VI, gave a special shout-out to PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi and his teammates.
The Moroccan right-back made it clear to the Moroccan fans that he was going to give 110% to help bring home the AFCON 2025 trophy. He ended by thanking his mum and the medical staff who’d been guiding him through the toughest of times.
CAF let us know that the Women’s Interclub Player and Women’s Coach of the Year awards will have to wait. They’ll be presented after the dust settles on the CAF Women’s Champions League Egypt 2025. caf
