CAF Awards 2025: South African quartet miss out as Morocco shine

South Africa’s finalists at the 2025 CAF Awards all missed out as Morocco swept most of them with Achraf Hakimi and Ghizlane Chebbak being crowned 2025 African Players of the Year.

Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Amajita defender Tylon Smith, Banyana Banyana shot-stopper Andile Dlamini and Mamelodi Sundowns had been finalists in their respective categories but lost out.

Williams had made it to the final three in the Goalkeeper of the Year Award category, seeking to retain his crown, but he lost out to Morocco’s Yassine Bounou, while Dlamini was also shortlisted for the women’s equivalent, which went to Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie.

The moment. His moment. Our Hakimi! 🌍#CAFAwards2025 pic.twitter.com/gan2G7sVs8
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 19, 2025

Meanwhile, Smith was among the final three for the Young Player of the Year Award but lost out to Morocco’s Othmane Maamma, who was vital in his country’s run to the U20 World Cup title win, while Mamelodi Sundowns were contesting the club of the Year Award, handed to Egyptian side Pyramids.

Who were the other winners?

Pyramids’ Congolese striker Fiston Mayele was crowned Men’s Inter-club Player of the Year after guiding the club to their first-ever CAF Champions League title while other notable winners were Nigeria (Women’s National Team of the Year) as well as Cape Verde coach (Men’s Coach of the Year) for qualifying the tiny island nation to the 2026 World Cup.

Goalkeeping is an art, and these are the masters! 🧤#CAFAwards2025 pic.twitter.com/GJWVDras7w
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 19, 2025

The most anticipated awards were the Player of the Year gongs with the women’s crown going to Chebbak, who helped Morocco to another Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final this year before they lost to Nigeria.

Hakimi, meanwhile, succeeded Nigerian Ademola Lookman as African Player of the Year, having beaten Super Eagles and Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen as well as Egypt and Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.

Hakimi had a career-high 11 goals and 16 assists from right-back for Paris Saint-Germain, who won the French League, Cup and Champions League in 2024-25.