PSG defender Achraf Hakimi has been recognized as the premier African player in the French league, contributing significantly to his club’s 13th Ligue 1 title and their advancement to the Champions League final.
The 26-year-old Moroccan received the Marc-Vivien Foé award on Sunday, surpassing Nice’s Evann Guessand from Ivory Coast and Senegal’s Habib Diarra of Strasbourg. Hakimi was also a nominee for this award last year.
Named after the late Cameroonian player Marc-Vivien Foé, who tragically passed away on the field in France in 2003 at the age of 28, the award holds significant prestige.
Hakimi expressed his pride in receiving this honor, stating, ‘It makes me very proud to see all the work I’ve achieved over the years rewarded with this prize.
I’m really happy,’ during an interview with French broadcaster RFI. Since joining PSG in 2021, Hakimi has established himself as one of the world’s top right-backs, netting 4 goals and providing 6 assists in the current French league season.
Despite facing serious allegations of rape in March 2023, which he has vehemently denied, Hakimi has maintained strong support from both fans and the industry.
He is the second defender to earn the Marc-Vivien Foé award, following Congolese player Chancel Mbemba two years prior, and the fourth Moroccan to achieve this honor, joining the ranks of Marouane Chamakh, Younès Belhanda, and Sofiane Boufal.
Hakimi’s schedule remains demanding as PSG gears up for the French Cup final against Reims on May 24 and the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31.
He is also expected to excel with the Moroccan national team in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, set to take place in Morocco this December.
