Morocco Captain Achraf Hakimi Leads Historic AFCON Final After Treble-Winning Year
Morocco, 18 January 2026
Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi captained Morocco in yesterday’s Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal, culminating an extraordinary 2025 season. The 27-year-old full-back completed a historic treble with PSG, winning the Champions League, Ligue 1, and Coupe de France, whilst earning African Footballer of the Year honours ahead of Mohamed Salah and Victor Osimhen. Morocco sought their first continental title in 50 years on home soil, with Hakimi’s leadership proving crucial after Spain’s earlier oversight in losing him to Morocco’s national team setup despite his Real Madrid development.
A Champions League Triumph Anchors Exceptional Club Season
Hakimi’s remarkable 2025 campaign with Paris Saint-Germain reached its zenith with the Champions League final victory, where he scored the opening goal in a commanding 5-0 triumph over Inter Milan in Munich [1]. The Moroccan international featured in 55 matches throughout the season, contributing 11 goals and 14 assists across all competitions [1]. His performances under Luis Enrique’s management established him as the world’s premier right-back, earning recognition in the FIFA World XI, Champions League Team of the Season, and Club World Cup Best XI [1]. The PSG defender’s trophy haul also included the Intercontinental Cup victory over Flamengo, though injury prevented his participation in that particular match [1].
African Recognition and International Leadership
The culmination of Hakimi’s exceptional year came with his selection as African Footballer of the Year at the CAF awards gala, finishing ahead of prominent figures such as Victor Osimhen and Mohamed Salah [1][2]. Despite suffering an injury during the UEFA Champions League that limited his availability throughout the Africa Cup of Nations, his leadership and influence remained undiminished [2]. In Morocco’s semi-final victory, Hakimi delivered a superb performance from right-back alongside Noussair Mazraoui, maintaining attacking pressure whilst neutralising Nigeria’s dangerous forwards [3]. His composed penalty conversion in the shootout appeared to settle both his teammates’ nerves and those of the home crowd, with the PSG full-back unable to contain his emotions at full-time knowing he would captain his side in a home AFCON final [3].
Spain’s Strategic Oversight Creates Morocco’s Gain
The story of Hakimi’s international allegiance represents one of modern football’s most significant recruitment coups by the Moroccan federation [4]. Despite being born in Getafe, developing through Real Madrid’s academy system, and appearing on Spain’s radar, Hakimi was persuaded early to represent Morocco through their youth systems [4]. The presence of Dani Carvajal in the right-back position during both Hakimi’s emergence and Carvajal’s peak years effectively blocked his pathway into the Spanish national team setup [4]. This dynamic replicated itself at Real Madrid, where despite winning the Champions League in his early career, Hakimi was compelled to seek opportunities elsewhere, ultimately flourishing at Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, and subsequently at PSG [4].
Historic Final and Continental Aspirations
The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final on 17th January 2026 represented Morocco’s best opportunity to end a five-decade continental drought, with the Atlas Lions hosting the tournament on home soil [3][2]. Morocco entered the final having conceded merely one goal in six matches throughout the tournament, maintaining the same starting eleven for four consecutive matches under coach Walid Regragui [3]. The defensive solidity mirrors their 2022 World Cup performance, where they conceded just one goal across five matches [3]. Their opponents Senegal, the 2021 AFCON champions, arrived with an impressive 17-match unbeaten run in the competition and made two enforced changes for the final, with Mamadou Sarr replacing Kalidou Koulibaly and Lamine Camara replacing Habib Diarra [3]. The match represents a clash between world number 11 Morocco and number 19 Senegal, with both nations expected to climb in FIFA rankings following the tournament’s conclusion [alert! ‘ranking information from YouTube source may not be current’] [5].