African Ballon d'Or 2025: El Hadji Diouf chooses between Hakimi and Salah

As the race for the 2025 African Ballon d'Or heats up like never before, Senegalese legend El Hadji Diouf has stepped forward to make his preference crystal clear. To the surprise of some, he is firmly backing Morocco's Achraf Hakimi over Egypt's Mohamed Salah.

African Ballon d'Or 2025: El Hadji Diouf puts Hakimi ahead of Salah

A two-time winner of Africa's top individual honor (2001 and 2002), Diouf believes that the Champions League Round of 16 clash between Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool was a decisive factor in his assessment.

"Hakimi came out on top, and that has to count in any comparison between the two. Everyone expected Salah to shine, but he lost more than just a match. In my eyes, he lost the Ballon d'Or," Diouf told French daily L’Équipe.

Achraf Hakimi delivered a stellar season with the Parisian club, collecting no fewer than four major trophies: Ligue 1, the French Cup, the Trophée des Champions, and above all, the Champions League. He even found the net in the final against Inter Milan, which ended in a stunning 5-0 victory.

Diouf continued: "He's a true leader. Hakimi is a very serious contender. For me, he is the overwhelming favorite. He has won it all, he scored in the final. He's flawless defensively, highly committed, and capable of playing a key role. I also appreciate his leadership. After Marquinhos, he's the boss at PSG."

As for Salah, while his individual stats are impressive, his lack of European silverware this season is, in the former Senegal international's view, a significant handicap.

Thanks to his exceptional performances and his central role at PSG, Achraf Hakimi stands out as the favorite to win the 2025 African Ballon d'Or. He could become the fifth Moroccan to claim this prestigious award, and the first PSG player to be crowned since George Weah in 1995.

Also read: "Leave Sadio in peace"… El Hadji Diouf hits out at the critics!

Mohamed Rek |

Editorfr, ar, en

Mohamed Rek- sports content writer with over 10 years of experience creating football content in Arabic and French for platforms such as Foot Africa and Starafrica, combining accuracy, creativity, and audience engagement.