Achraf Hakimi's mother, Saida Mouh, has revealed her son has moved on from the disappointment of losing the 2024 CAF Player of the Year Award to Ademola Lookman, Soccernet.ng reports.
Hakimi was nominated for the prestigious award alongside Ronwen Hayden-Williams, Simon Adingra, Sehrou Guirassy and the eventual winner, Ademola Lookman.
The former Real Madrid defender won the French Ligue 1 with PSG, and took the Moroccan U-23 team to a third-place finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics tournament, and believed he had a worthy stake in bringing the award home.
Atalanta's Ademola Lookman took the trophy home after a stellar season for club and country that saw him win the UEFA Europa League, and lead the Super Eagles of Nigeria to a place in the AFCON 2023 final.
Speaking after the tournament, Hakimi's mother believed her son was so sure he would come home with the award, and she quickly travelled from Turkey to Marrakesh to celebrate the beautiful occasion with the former Borussia Dortmund man.
“My son requested I to come to Marrakesh as a matter of urgency to attend the handover of the African Ballon d'Or. He spoke with so much certainty. He was the winner. Perhaps he had been informed before the event, but in the end, the trophy went to Ademola Lookman,” Saida told Al-Araby in quotes revealed by Fennec Football.
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Regarding the impact of this defeat on her son, Saida revealed her son is very mature and has since moved on from the disappointment. She reveals he feels loved by the Moroccan and Arab fans, and that is more than enough.
“My son has quickly forgotten this defeat after leaving the room to join his team, Paris Saint-Germain. He knows that love between Moroccan and Arab fans are worth far more than anything. What price? It's not easy to be loved by everyone, and Achraf believes firmly in fate and the will of God.
If he has not won the African Ballon d'Or this year, he will probably win it in the years to come. He's still young, with a lot of talent to offer. Morocco also has important challenges to come, like the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” she concluded.
Paris Saint-Germain are currently top of the French Ligue 1, giving Hakimi a strong shout for the 2025 CAF POTY Award. However, it'll most likely go down to the wire as Mohammed Salah, Ademola Lookman, and Victor Osimhen all have their clubs atop their respective leagues at the moment.
