CAF has announced the final shortlist for the 2025 CAF Awards, confirming Mohamed Salah, Achraf Hakimi and Victor Osimhen as the top three contenders for Men’s Player of the Year. The ceremony will be staged in Rabat, Morocco on Wednesday 19 November kicking off at 19:00 local time as the continent celebrates another year of star turns on the pitch.
The trio represents Africa’s current elite. Salah continues to deliver numbers at Liverpool, Hakimi’s rise at PSG has turned him into one of the world’s top full-backs, while Osimhen’s switch to Galatasaray hasn’t slowed his reputation as one of the deadliest strikers on the continent. All three arrive with a genuine shout, and it should be a tight one.
African football history is stacked with big names lifting this prize. Ghana legend Abedi Pele won three straight between 1991 and 1993, while George Weah now a former Liberian president, took the crown in 1995 and became the first African to win the Ballon d’Or in the same year.
But the record books tell a different story at the top. Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Touré share the most wins with four each. Eto’o dominated across 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2010, while Touré ripped through the early 2010s with an incredible four year streak from 2011 to 2014. No one has matched that run since.
Worth noting: from 1992 to 1999, the award operated as the African Ballon d’Or under France Football before CAF took full control in 2000 and rebranded it as African Player of the Year. A bit of trivia that often gets forgotten.
With votes split across coaches, journalists and national federations, this year’s decision could go either way. Salah chasing another crown, Hakimi flying the flag for Morocco, and Osimhen looking to drag Nigeria back into the spotlight after a rough spell plenty of narratives on the table.
All eyes now shift to Rabat. One night, one trophy, three superstars. Who takes it home?
