Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi has been named the best African player in the French league after helping his club win its 13th Ligue 1 title and reach the Champions League final.
The 26-year-old Moroccan defender won the Marc-Vivien Foé Award on Sunday, finishing ahead of Nice’s Evann Guessand from Ivory Coast and Strasbourg’s Senegalese midfielder Habib Diarra. Hakimi had already been nominated for the award last year.
The award honors the memory of Marc-Vivien Foé, a Cameroon international who tragically passed away on the field during a match in France in 2003 at the age of 28.
“It makes me very proud to see all the work I’ve achieved over the years rewarded with this prize. I’m really happy,” Hakimi told French broadcaster RFI, which presented him with the award.
Since joining PSG in 2021, Hakimi has become one of the best right-backs in the world. This season, he has scored four goals and provided six assists in Ligue 1. He also serves as vice-captain of PSG.
Despite facing rape charges in March 2023, Hakimi has continued to maintain strong support from both the football industry and fans. He has denied the allegations, calling them an “extortion attempt.”
Hakimi is the second defender to win the Marc-Vivien Foé Award after Chancel Mbemba in 2022. He is also the fourth Moroccan to receive the honor, following Marouane Chamakh (2009), Younès Belhanda (2012), and Sofiane Boufal (2016).
Hakimi’s season is far from over. PSG will face Reims in the French Cup final on May 24, followed by the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31.
Looking ahead, Hakimi is also expected to play a key role for Morocco in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted by his home country in December.
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