CAF African Player of the Year always gets people talking.
This time, Achraf Hakimi has just been crowned winner for 2025, finishing ahead of Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen after a huge season with PSG and Morocco. He did not just pick up a trophy. He added another star to Morocco’s place in the history of African football awards.
So here is the big question this post answers:
Which countries actually dominate the CAF African Player of the Year awards, on both the men’s and women’s side?
Men and women have separate awards, so we will keep the rankings separate too, and use them to show where the real power sits in African football.
Before you scroll, pause for a second.
Who do you think is in front, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, or someone else?
Cameroon – 11 wins
In the story of CAF African Player of the Year, Cameroon feel like the original final boss. Eleven wins is not just a number, it is a reminder that across different eras, when Africa needed a hero, a Cameroonian often stepped forward.
You start with Roger Milla, the smiling assassin from Italia 90 whose name is basically shorthand for African legend. Then you move through the calm authority of Thomas N Kono in goal, the elegance of Théophile Abega in midfield, and land in the Samuel Eto o years, when the award almost felt like his personal property. Eto o did not just win, he dominated, lifting trophies with Barcelona and Inter while carrying Cameroon’s reputation on his back.
Add Patrick M Boma’s explosive spell in the early 2000s and you see the pattern clearly. Cameroonian players do not just play at the top level, they shape the era. That is why, even today, when people argue about the greatest African footballers, at least one Cameroonian name always enters the conversation.
Cameroon winners include: Roger Milla (2x), Thomas N Kono (2x), Jean Manga Onguéné (1x), Théophile Abega (1x), Patrick M Boma (1x), Samuel Eto o (4x).
Nigeria – 7 wins
Nigeria’s seven CAF African Player of the Year titles read like a highlight reel of different eras. Every name feels like its own chapter.
Rashidi Yekini was the raw power era, the kind of striker who looked like he could bend both nets and defenders. Emmanuel Amunike brought that sharp left foot and big game temperament that made him impossible to ignore. Nwankwo Kanu arrived with flair and imagination, floating through defences and making everything look slower than it really was. Victor Ikpeba added Monaco sparkle in the late 1990s, proving that Nigerians could be the main man in Europe’s top leagues.
Then the baton passed to a new generation. Victor Osimhen turned pressing, hunger and movement into goals and a Serie A title. Ademola Lookman delivered a European final hat trick, then followed it up by winning the CAF crown.
At that point you see this is not a fluke, it is a production line. From one decade to the next, a different Nigerian steps up and forces the continent to learn his name.
Nigeria winners include: Rashidi Yekini (1x), Emmanuel Amunike (1x), Nwankwo Kanu (2x), Victor Ikpeba (1x), Victor Osimhen (1x), Ademola Lookman (1x).
Players do not get recognised only for club form. Big international nights matter a lot. When a Nigerian attacker takes over a CAF or World Cup qualifier, transfer values and award chances often move together. That is the exact dynamic explored in our blog on How CAF World Cup qualifiers shape player value and market pricing
Ghana – 6 wins
Ghana’s six titles feel like the backbone of the award’s early modern history. Long before clips went viral on social media, Abedi Pele was gliding across midfields and lifting trophies, turning himself into a three time winner and a reference point for future African playmakers.
Ghana’s influence goes beyond the trophy count. Even in years when they did not lift AFCON, their players stayed visible in the Champions League and other top European competitions. The Black Stars’ style, technically confident, brave on the ball and tactically intelligent, travelled well. Voters noticed. When you scroll through the list of CAF African Player of the Year winners, Ghanaian names keep showing up at important moments in the story.
Ivory Coast – 6 wins
Ivory Coast’s six titles carry the smell of a real golden generation. Say the country’s name and most people immediately picture Didier Drogba bullying defenders or Yaya Touré running through midfields like a one man bulldozer.
Those years were not just about nice highlights, they were about control. Drogba turned Chelsea into one of the most feared teams in Europe and became the reference point for African centre forwards. Touré turned central midfield into a cheat code, picking up four CAF African Player of the Year awards in a row and turning the trophy into something people expected to see in his hands. Put those careers together and you see how a relatively small country, in population terms, managed to match Ghana’s total and sit comfortably with the giants.
Morocco – 5 wins
Morocco’s five men’s titles feel like a bridge between old school romance and modern super club football.
The early chapters belong to Ahmed Faras, Mohamed Timoumi, Badou Zaki and Mustapha Hadji. Their names live in the memories of older fans and in grainy clips online. They were the first proof that North African players could stand alongside West Africa’s biggest stars and still walk away with the continent’s top individual prize.
Fast forward and Achraf Hakimi has dragged that story into the modern era. A right back winning CAF African Player of the Year sounds strange until you watch him. He attacks like a winger, appears in decisive moments, and stacks a Champions League title, league trophies and deep World Cup runs on his CV. His 2025 win, confirmed by CAF in their official awards story here, felt like a natural next step for Moroccan football:
His win does not just add another mark under Morocco, it confirms that the country has moved from promising to established powerhouse.
Morocco winners include: Ahmed Faras (1x), Mohamed Timoumi (1x), Badou Zaki (1x), Mustapha Hadji (1x), Achraf Hakimi (1x).
For clubs, agents and brands, that mix of performance, visibility and personality is the type of profile discussed in more detail here in Untapped opportunities in athlete branding in Africa
Senegal – 4 wins
Senegal’s four titles represent a country that finally aligned talent, structure and stage. For years, everyone knew Senegalese players were good enough. What they needed was a run of seasons where club and country peaked at the same time.
El Hadji Diouf’s breakout in the early 2000s announced Senegal to the world, fearless, sharp and impossible to ignore. Later, Sadio Mané took that raw energy and turned it into something even more consistent. Champions League titles with Liverpool, an AFCON trophy with Senegal, and a national team story that always seemed to revolve around him. His CAF African Player of the Year wins felt more like confirmation than surprise. Look at Senegal’s total and you do not just see numbers, you see a country finally getting full credit for decades of potential.
The rest of the men’s honour roll
Outside the headline nations, the honour roll reads like a map of African football’s hidden gems. Liberia’s three titles, all connected to George Weah, show how one extraordinary player can put a country on the global football map almost on his own. Algeria’s winners bridge generations, from classic playmakers to Riyad Mahrez lighting up the Premier League. Egypt’s three titles, including Mohamed Salah’s peak Liverpool years, remind everyone that historically dominant national teams eventually produce individuals the entire continent has to respect.
Then there are countries with one or two wins, Mali, Gabon, Togo, Guinea, DR Congo, Zambia, Congo, Tunisia. Each of those seasons, every other African star had to step aside. For scouts and agents, these one off winners are the biggest lesson, ignoring so called minor markets is risky.
Women Category
Now the picture flips.
The women’s prize is officially African Women’s Footballer of the Year. It is the direct counterpart to the men’s award, but when you look at the list of winners, the balance of power shifts sharply. CAF now highlights the women’s category in the same CAF Awards news flow as the men’s, including the 2024 and 2025 ceremonies:
2024 CAF Awards main story, 2025 CAF Awards main story. For a better understanding of how fast women football is growing in Africa, you should definitely read our post on The rapid rise of women’s football in Africa
Nigeria – 13 wins
On the women’s side, Nigeria do not just lead, they stretch the whole table. Thirteen titles turn the Super Falcons into a dynasty, and the winners list reads like a hall of fame.
Mercy Akide helped set the tone, quick, fearless and unmissable at a time when women’s football hardly got serious attention. Perpetua Nkwocha carried that torch, turning WAFCON tournaments into her personal stage and stacking titles along the way. Cynthia Uwak came through and showed that Nigerian forwards could mix hard work with finesse, winning back to back awards.
Then Asisat Oshoala arrived and everything accelerated. From Liverpool to Arsenal to Barcelona and now the Gulf, she has treated top level football as a world tour, collecting a record number of African Women’s Player of the Year trophies. Put all of these names together and the picture is clear. If you are picking an all time African women’s eleven, you probably write in at least three or four Nigerians without thinking twice.
Nigeria winners include: Mercy Akide (1x), Perpetua Nkwocha (4x), Cynthia Uwak (2x), Asisat Oshoala (6x).
Ghana – 2 wins
Ghana’s two titles might look small next to Nigeria’s total, but they carry real weight. At a time when many countries treated women’s football as an afterthought, the Black Queens were already producing players who forced CAF to notice.
Alberta Sackey and Adjoa Bayor did more than win personal awards. They opened a lane. Their visibility told young Ghanaian girls that football could be more than a hobby, and told the rest of the continent that Ghana were willing to take the women’s game seriously before it became fashionable. Even though the trophy count has not exploded since, those early wins still echo in every new generation that sees the Black Queens as pioneers, not just competitors.
South Africa – 2 wins
South Africa’s two titles feel like a trailer for where the women’s game is going.
Noko Matlou’s win marked the moment Banyana Banyana stopped being just a tricky opponent and started being a team no one could ignore. Strong, direct and fully committed, she embodied a South Africa that refused to accept permanent underdog status.
Then Thembi Kgatlana took that base and added electricity. Her pace, dribbling and eye for the spectacular made her a walking highlight reel. Her clips travel beyond Africa, across global timelines, and pull new fans into the women’s game. Together, they turned South Africa’s women’s team into a brand of its own, energetic, brave and always worth watching.
South Africa winners include: Noko Matlou (1x), Thembi Kgatlana (1x).
Cameroon – 1 win
Cameroon’s single women’s title sits where tradition meets transition. Everyone already respects the men’s record, but Gaëlle Enganamouit’s award quietly pushed the spotlight toward the women’s side and said, look here as well.
Her rise felt like an extension of everything people associate with Cameroonian football, physical strength, emotional intensity, and a refusal to back down once the game starts. That one trophy has not yet turned into a series, but it has done something important. It created a clear reference point. Any young Cameroonian girl dreaming of a professional career now has a continental level example to point to.
Equatorial Guinea – 1 win
Equatorial Guinea’s position on this list is a reminder that women’s football can redraw the usual power map. Genoveva Añonma’s award came during a period when the national team regularly upset bigger names at WAFCON and refused to play the polite underdog role.
For a small country, that single title carries huge weight. It proves that a focused project, a committed group and one top level striker can combine to put your flag into CAF’s official history. When people talk about where the next wave of opportunities in African women’s football might come from, Equatorial Guinea quietly sits there as an example.
Zambia – 1 win
Zambia’s arrival on the women’s honour roll feels new and exciting. Barbra Banda’s win did not appear from nowhere. It followed Olympic headlines, big performances for club and country, and a growing sense that the Copper Queens were no longer just there to fill up a group. CAF’s 2024 Awards story puts her season and her impact into context
Her story ticks almost every modern box, clear on pitch identity, a distinctive personality, and a career path that runs through increasingly visible leagues. From a branding point of view, she shows how one breakout star can drag a whole national narrative forward.
Zambia winner: Barbra Banda (1x).
Morocco – 1 win
Morocco’s first women’s title, through Ghizlane Chebbak, arrived at exactly the right time. The country had already built momentum with a home WAFCON run and a World Cup story. The African Women’s Player of the Year award simply stamped that progress with official recognition.
Chebbak’s win, alongside Hakimi’s success on the men’s side, turned the CAF Awards night into a showcase for Moroccan football. For fans, it felt like confirmation that the World Cup semi final was not a fluke. For people inside the football industry, it looked like a clear case study. When a federation invests properly in both men’s and women’s pathways, the talent appears, performances follow, and sooner or later, the individual trophies arrive.
CAF African Player of the Year, and the women’s equivalent serve as market signals.
They raise transfer value.
They attract better commercial deals.
They shift which leagues and countries scouts take seriously.
For a deeper look at how competitive games feed into this, check out How CAF World Cup qualifiers shape player value and market pricing
For any player reading this and dreaming of one day making these lists, the roadmap is visible.
Study where past winners came from.
Look at the leagues they chose, the competitions they prioritised, and the way they built their name and image.
Treat their stories as a guide, not just as history.
