'I hope I can win it' - PSG's Morocco star aims to beat Lookman to African Footballer of the Year

Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi has expressed his pride at receiving a nomination for the prestigious African Footballer of the Year accolade, stressing that winning the award would be a great honour. 

In his quest to win the Player of the Year prize, the Morocco fullback faces stiff competition from a group of distinguished African stars, including Guinea's Serhou Guirassy, ​​Nigeria's Ademola Lookman, Ivory Coast's Simon Adingra, and South Africa's Ronwen Williams.

Considering that he was the only African player nominated for the Ballon d'Or, Atalanta forward Lookman is believed to be the favourite to win the African Footballer of the Year. 

Lookman scored seventeen goals from 45 appearances across all competitions last season while producing ten assists and was named Atalanta's Player of the Year.

On the international stage, he was a key player as Nigeria reached the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, scoring three times in seven games and was included in the official Team of the Tournament. 

Achraf Hakimi was instrumental in PSG's UEFA Champions League semifinal run and celebrated a bronze medal win with Morocco at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Hakimi stated that even if he doesn't win the Player of the Year award, he would remain proud of the nomination and it would inspire him to put in greater effort in the future.

“It’s a source of pride and satisfaction, especially knowing that the work I’ve been doing for a long time will be rewarded with this nomination," he told Brut via maliactu.net.

"It’s true that it’s an important trophy on an individual level, but I’m happy to be here,

"I hope I can win it, but if not, I'm happy to be here, and it makes me want to keep working"

The CAF Awards ceremony will be held in the Moroccan city of Marrakech on Monday, December 16, 2024.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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