Liverpool's Mohamed Salah beaten to African Player of the Year award by PSG star

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Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah has missed out on the African Footballer of the Year award, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi scooping the coveted prize instead. Salah had been shortlisted for the award alongside Hakimi and Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen following a superb individual season in which he scored 34 goals and added 23 assists to help Liverpool to the Premier League title, as well as leading Egypt to qualification for next year’s World Cup.

It’s Hakimi though that has won the award for the first time in his career, having won a treble - including the Champions League - with PSG last season. "This trophy is not just for me - it is for all the Africans that have dreams." Hakimi claims the award for the first time, having finished as runner-up in 2023 and 2024, with the Moroccan international also set to be at next year’s World Cup.

Paris Saint-Germain's Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi (C) holds his Africa Player of the Year award next to CAF President Patrice Motsepe (L) and FIFA President Gianni Infantino (R) (Image: Getty Images) "We will do our best to win the Afcon trophy," Hakimi added. "I'd like to thank my physiotherapists and those that support me in this difficult period." Morocco captain Ghizlane Chebbak won the women’s prize, beating international teammate Sanaa Mssoudy and Nigeria’s Rasheedat Ajibade to the award.