Moroccan international and Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been named the winner of the 2024 Golden Lion award, a prestigious honor organized by Moroccan sports newspaper Al Mountakhab. The accolade, determined by votes from 41 media organizations, recognizes the best African footballer of the year.
Hakimi becomes only the second Moroccan player to claim the award, following in the footsteps of Yassine Bounou, who won the 15th edition of the Golden Lion.
The 25-year-old edged out stiff competition from Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman, who plays for Italian club Atalanta, and fellow Moroccan international Soufiane Rahimi, who represents Emirati side Al Ain.
The final rankings saw Hakimi earn 162 points, comfortably ahead of Lookman, who garnered 96 points, and Rahimi, who finished third with 90 points.
Golden Lion 2024 Rankings:
- Achraf Hakimi – 162 points
- Ademola Lookman – 96 points
- Soufiane Rahimi – 90 points
- Brahim Díaz – 73 points
- Mohamed Salah – 61 points
- Ayoub El-Kaabi – 51 points
- Victor Boniface – 43 points
- Franck Kessié – 42 points
- Ronwen Williams – 31 points
- Mohamed Abdelmonem – 8 points
Hakimi’s recognition underscores his exceptional contributions on the pitch, cementing his status as one of Africa’s finest football talents.
