Achraf Hakimi, Yunis Abdelhamid Nominated for Marc-Vivien Foe Award

Moroccan footballers Achraf Hakimi and Yunis Abdelhamid have been nominated for the Marc-Vivien Foe award, which honors the best African footballer playing in France’s Ligue 1.

Rabat – Moroccan footballers Achraf Hakimi and Yunis Abdelhamid have been nominated for the Marc-Vivien Foe award, which honors the best African footballer playing in France’s Ligue 1.

French news outlet France 24 and Radio France International (RFI), unveiled the list of the 11 finalists who will compete for the prestigious prize for the 2022-2023 season.

The award’s organizers recalled Moroccan international and PSG right-back Achraf Hakimi’s impressive displays at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, stressing that he was one of the best players in the tournament.

They also pointed to his performances with PSG, saying: “For his second season in the French capital, in a team of stars, he is doing well with goals and assists.”

Meanwhile, the award’s organizers described Moroccan footballer Yunis Abdelhamid who plays as a defender for Ligue 1 club Reims as a “model of consistency who embodies the stability of the club.”

“Captaining a defense that has gone 19 games without a loss, at 35 years old, the Atlas Lion is probably having his best season of his career,” the organizers noted.

Eleven finalists have been named for the Marc-Vivien Foe award, including Bissau-Guinean forward Mama Samba Balde, Malian midfielder Mohamed Camara, Senegalese forward Habib Diallo, and French-Ivorian midfielder Seko Fofana.

The list of nominees also includes Congolese defender Chancel Mbemba, Nigerian striker Terem Moffi, Zimbabwean midfielder Marshall Nyasha, Malian defender Hamari Traore, and Ghanaian midfielder Salis Abdul Samed.

The annual prize for the best African player in Ligue 1 is named after the Cameroonian player Marc-Vivien Foe, who passed away unexpectedly on June 26, 2003, while representing his nation in a Confederation Cup match against Colombia at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon.

Moroccan international footballer Sofiane Boufal received the Marc-Vivien Foe Award in 2016, and former Moroccan footballer Marouane Chamakh received the award in 2009.