PARIS, May 11 (AGCNewsNet) – Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been crowned the best African player in France’s Ligue 1, following a stellar season that saw his club clinch its 13th league title and reach the UEFA Champions League final.

The 26-year-old Moroccan international won the Marc-Vivien Foé Award, named in honour of the late Cameroonian footballer who tragically passed away during a match in France in 2003. Hakimi edged out Ivory Coast’s Evann Guessand (Nice) and Senegal’s Habib Diarra (Strasbourg) to claim the coveted title.

“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 jointly awards the prize with France 24.

Hakimi joined PSG in 2021 and has since become an integral part of the team’s success. Widely regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world, he contributed 4 goals and 6 assists in the current Ligue 1 season and serves as the club’s vice-captain.

This marks the second time a defender has received the Marc-Vivien Foé Award, following Congolese centre-back Chancel Mbemba in 2023. Hakimi also becomes the fourth Moroccan to win the honour, joining Marouane Chamakh (2009), Younès Belhanda (2012), and Sofiane Boufal (2016).

Despite facing legal scrutiny in 2023 when a 24-year-old woman accused him of rape—a charge he strongly denied, calling it an “extortion attempt”—Hakimi has maintained strong support from fans and the footballing community.

There’s little respite ahead for Hakimi, with PSG set to face Reims in the French Cup final on May 24 and Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final on May 31. His international prospects also remain high as he gears up to represent Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for December on home soil.

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Source: AfricaNews