Super Falcons, Nnadozie win  big at 2025 CAF Awards

Morocco’s Hakimi  finally crowned Africa’s Best 

As widely  speculated, PSG and Morocco’s inspirational defender Achraf Hakimi  was last night  crowned  African Footballer of the Year  for the first time in his illustrious career at the  2025 CAF Awards Gala  held at the at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat.

Nigeria was not left out of the honours role  as the Super Falcons  were named the Women’s Team of the Year  while goalkeeper  Chiamaka Nnadozie  grabbed the Women’s goalkeeper of th Year  award.

For the ‘homeboy’ Hakimi , it was indeed third time lucky after  missing out of the awards  in two previous  editions  to Nigeria’s duo of   Victor Osimhen (2023)  and  Ademola Lookman (2024).

Still recuperating  from a recent injury, Hakimi  hobbled to the podium  to receive his award  from both the CAF President Patrice Motsepe and  FIFA President Gianni Infantino saying, he was proud to  finally have his hands on the prized individual award.

Hakimi is  the first Moroccan to win the award since  Moustapha Hadji in 1998  and he’s now the third  Moroccan  to be  crowned Africa’s Best  since the award was  instituted in 1970  after  Mohamed Timoumi (1985).

The night  also belonged to  Super Falcons’ Number 1  shot-stopper  Nnadozie who  has now claimed the honour as the continent’s best goalkeeper in the women’s  category  for the third year in a row.

Nnadozie beat Morocco’s Khadija Er-Rmichi and South Africa’s Andile Dlamini after an exceptional year for club and country.

The 24-year-old  currently with Brighton & Hove Albion , helped Paris FC win the Coupe de France Féminine before guiding Nigeria to a historic 10^th  WAFCON title, where she kept four clean sheets and won the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper award.

Meanwhile,  the Super Falcons were  crowned the 2025 CAF Women’s National Team of the Year after a remarkable campaign highlighted by their record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph.

Under coach Justin Madugu, the Falcons dominated the group stage without conceding, defeating Tunisia, Botswana, and Algeria. They crushed Zambia 5–0 in the quarterfinals and edged South Africa 2–1 in the semifinals.

In a dramatic final, Nigeria overturned a 2–0 deficit to beat hosts Morocco 3–2, showcasing resilience and championship mentality.

In the other women’s category, Super Falcons ‘ captain Rasheedat  Ajibade and Flamingos’  Shakirat Moshood  were  beaten  respectively to the Women’s Player of  the Year and Women’s Young Player of the Year by  Morocco’s  duo of  Ghizlane Chebbak  and  Doha El Madani .

In a related development, Super Falcons’ coach Madugu  will have to  wait  as organisers announced that The CAF Women’s Coach of the Year award will be presented upon completion of the ongoing CAF Women’s Champions League Egypt 2025.

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CAF AWARDS 2025: ALL THE  WINNERS

CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)

Achraf Hakimi (Morocco / Paris Saint-Germain)

CAF PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)

Ghizlane Chebbak (Morocco / Al Hilal)

CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (MEN)

Yassine Bounou (Morocco / Al Hilal)

CAF GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)

Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria / Brighton & Hove Albion)

CAF INTERCLUB PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)

Fiston Mayele (DR Congo / Pyramids)

CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MEN)

Othmane Maamma (Morocco / Watford)

CAF YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)

Doha El Madani (Morocco / AS FAR)

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CAF COACH OF THE YEAR (MEN)

Bubista (Cape Verde)

CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (MEN)

Morocco Under-20

CAF NATIONAL TEAM OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)

Nigeria

CAF CLUB OF THE YEAR (MEN)

Pyramids (Egypt)

REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)

Omar Abdulkadir (Somalia)

ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (MEN)

Liban Abdoulrazack (Djibouti)

REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)

Shamirah Nabadda (Uganda)

ASSISTANT REFEREE OF THE YEAR (WOMEN)

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Tabara Mbodji (Senegal)