Former Morocco striker Salaheddine Bassir has expressed confidence in Achraf Hakimi’s chances of winning the 2024 African Player of the Year award.
Bassir, Morocco’s Footballer of the Year in 1997, believes the Paris Saint-Germain defender is the favorite to claim the prestigious honor.
Hakimi faces competition from Ademola Lookman (Nigeria/Atalanta), Simon Adingra (Ivory Coast/Brighton), Serhou Guirassy (Guinea/Borussia Dortmund), and Ronwen Williams (South Africa/Mamelodi Sundowns).
Lookman had a phenomenal season, including a Europa League final hat-trick for Atalanta.
He also had an impressive Africa Cup of Nations campaign, where he scored three goals and helped Nigeria reach the final.
Despite this, Bassir remains confident in Hakimi’s case, saying:
“I am optimistic about choosing Achraf Hakimi as the best African player for 2024, and I hope there will be no surprises like last year,” Bassir told reporters.
He also referenced the 2023 award, where Hakimi and goalkeeper Yassine Bono were overlooked despite outstanding seasons, with the award going to Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen.
Lookman, aiming to join Nigerian legends like Nwankwo Kanu and Victor Osimhen as African Player of the Year winners, remains a strong challenger.
However, Bassir believes this year’s prize should go to Hakimi, as Morocco seeks its first win in the category since Mustapha Hadji in 1998.
