Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has voiced his support for Achraf Hakimi to win the 2025 African Footballer of the Year award after a stellar season with Paris Saint-Germain.

Hakimi finished as runners-up in the last two editions of the CAF Awards behind Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

As results of his outstanding performance in the 2024-25, Hakimi has been rated as the leading contender to succeed Lookman and his national team coach has also added talks of him being among the top three in Ballon d’Or ranking.

After Morocco’s narrow 1-0 win against Benin in an international friendly match, Regragui said: “Being African and defender? It can serve him that’s for sure. 

“Because I have always said it, in Africa we are harder with Africans, for coaches as well as for players. But of course he is at the Ballon d’Or table. I had already said it: for the African Ballon d’Or of course that he applies and that he should have it. 

“Also, he needs to sit at the Ballon d’Or table. And I said it before the Champions League final, now there is a Club World Cup.

“But I think that with this question we send a little breath to say that we are behind Achraf. For once we have a player of this caliber who can sit at the Ballon d’Or table, we have to push. For me of course he is in the top 3, and not third.”

Hakimi capped an outstanding European campaign by lifting a quadruple with PSG – French Super Cup, French Ligue 1, French Cup, UEFA Champions League and he scored a goal in the 5-0 humiliation of Inter Milan in the final.