Achraf Hakimi and Mohamed Salah headline the list of ten nominees for the 2025 African Footballer of the Year Award.

Hakimi, playing as a right-back for Paris St-Germain, was instrumental in securing a league and cup double, along with the Champions League title last season. Salah, on the other hand, clinched the Premier League Golden Boot as Liverpool reclaimed their champions title.

The shortlist also features Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye and Tottenham’s Pape Matar Sarr, both of whom played significant roles in Senegal’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, along with Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray, last year’s winner.

Completing the list are Cameroon’s Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Fiston Mayele from DR Congo, Denis Bouanga of Gabon, Guinea’s Serhou Guirassy, and Morocco’s Oussama Lamlioui.

Salah is a two-time awardee from 2017 and 2018, while Hakimi has been the runner-up in the previous two years.

Current holder Ademola Lookman did not make this year’s shortlist, which was compiled by a panel of experts designated by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), recognizing players, coaches, and teams that have made “notable contributions” from January 6 to October 15 this year.

Cape Verde’s head coach, Bubista, is nominated for the men’s Coach of the Year after guiding the Blue Sharks to their first-ever World Cup qualification.

The Cape Verde national team is also in the running for the men’s National Team of the Year, alongside Morocco’s U20 team, which recently attained the Under-20 World Cup title.

For the women’s Player of the Year award, Nigerian players Esther Okoronkwo and Rasheedat Ajibade are amongst the nominees announced last week.

CAF has yet to disclose when the awards ceremony will take place.

Men’s Player of the Year: Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli & Cameroon), Denis Bouanga (Los Angeles FC & Gabon), Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund & Guinea), Achraf Hakimi (Paris St-Germain & Morocco), Oussama Lamlioui (Renaissance Berkane), Fiston Mayele (Pyramids & DR Congo), Iliman Ndiaye (Everton & Senegal), Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray & Nigeria), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt), Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur & Senegal).

Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal & Morocco), Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien & Tunisia), Marc Diouf (TP Mazembe & Senegal), Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli & Senegal), Munir Mohamedi (RS Berkane & Morocco), Stanley Nwabali (Chippa Utd & Nigeria), Andre Onana (Trabzonspor & Cameroon), Ahmed El Shenawy (Pyramids & Egypt), Vozinha (Chaves & Cape Verde), Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns & South Africa).

Men’s Coach of the Year: Bubista (Cape Verde), Moine Chaabani (Renaissance Berkane), Hossam Hassan (Egypt), Krunoslav Jurcic (Pyramids), Mohamed Ouahbi (Morocco U20), Romuald Rakotondrabe (Madagascar), Walid Regragui (Morocco), Tarik Sektioui (Morocco U23), Pape Thiaw (Senegal), Sami Trabelsi (Tunisia).

Men’s National Team of the Year: Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Morocco U20, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia.

The complete list of nominees across all seven men’s categories can be found on the CAF website., external

Women’s Player of the Year: Rasheedat Ajibade (Paris St-Germain & Nigeria), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride & Zambia), Portia Boakye (Hapoel Petah Tikva & Ghana), Tabitha Chawinga (Lyon & Malawi), Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City & Malawi), Ghizlaine Chebbak (Al Hilal & Morocco), Mama Diop (Strasbourg & Senegal), Rachael Kundananji (Bay FC & Zambia), Sanaa Mssoudy (AS FAR & Morocco), Esther Okoronkwo (AFC Toronto & Nigeria).

Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Sedilame Boseja (Mamelodi Sundowns & Botswana), Andile Dlamini (Mamelodi Sundowns & South Africa), Habiba Emad (FC Masar & Egypt), Khadija Er-Rmichi (AS FAR & Morocco), Fatoumata Karantao (MUSFAS Bamako & Mali), Cynthia Konlan (Swieqi United & Ghana), Adji Ndiaye (AS Bambey & Senegal), Fideline Ndoy (TP Mazembe & DR Congo), Chloe N’Gazi (Marseille & Algeria), Chiamaka Nnadozie (Brighton & Hove Albion & Nigeria).

Women’s Coach of the Year: Genoveva Anonman (15 de Agosto), Kim Bjorkegren (Ghana), Lamia Boumehdi (TP Mazembe), Desiree Ellis (South Africa), Carol Kanyemba (Zambia U17), Adelaide Koudougnon (Ivory Coast U17), Justin Madugu (Nigeria), Bankole Olowookere (Nigeria U17), Siaka Gigi Traore (ASEC Mimosas), Jorge Vilda (Morocco).

Women’s National Team of the Year: Cameroon U17, Ghana, Ivory Coast U17, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Nigeria U17, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia U17.

For the complete nominees’ lists in all categories, visit the CAF website., external