Former African Footballer of the Year El-Hadji Diouf has made his choice for this year’s award.

Diouf, who won the coveted award twice in 2001 and 2002, is in the corner of Moroccan fullback Achraf Hakimi.

The Paris Saint-Germain star has played second fiddle to other stars for the award in the past two years.

He was runner-up to Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen in 2023, and last year, he again missed out to another Nigerian forward, Ademola Lookman.

Diouf argues that Hakimi has done enough this time to beat off competition from Egyptian and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah.

“Achraf Hakimi is the favourite for the [2025] African Footballer of the Year, and by far. He’s won everything and even scored in the [Champions League] final,” Diouf tells French publication L’Equipe.

“If it’s Salah, it wouldn’t be outrageous; he’s had the best season of his career. But, for me, Hakimi is the unanimous choice.”

Salah, who was named African Footballer of the Year in 2017 and 2018, was thought to be the frontrunner until Hakimi won the Champions League with PSG.

Last year’s winner, Lookman, was crowned at the CAF Awards on December 16 in Marrakech, Morocco.