Borussia Dortmund and Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi is the 2019 African Youth Player of the Year. - © DFL
Borussia Dortmund and Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi is the 2019 African Youth Player of the Year. - © DFL
bundesliga

Borussia Dortmund's Achraf Hakimi wins 2019 African Youth Player of the Year award

xwhatsappmailcopy-link

Borussia Dortmund full-back Achraf Hakimi has been named the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) 2019 African Youth Player of the Year.

Hakimi, who is enjoying a two-year loan stint at Dortmund from Real Madrid, beat former Wolfsburg forward Victor Osimhen (Lille/ Nigeria) and midfielder Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal/ Nigeria) to claim the prize he also won in 2018.

The Morocco international was presented with the award at the CAF 2019 awards ceremony in Hurghada, Egypt on 7 January.

Hakimi is halfway into his second season at Dortmund. He was a key member of the BVB side that finished Bundesliga runners-up in 2018/19, and has continued to impress at home and abroad this term.

The 21-year-old has already featured in 26 matches in all competitions, registering six goals and as many assists. He scored his first career brace in Dortmund's 2-0 win at Slavia Prague in UEFA Champions League Group F, before orchestrating a stunning comeback from 2-0 down with another double in a 3-2 home win over Inter Milan. The Real loanee is the highest-scoring defender in this season's competition.

BVB progressed as runners-up behind Barcelona, and will face former coach Thomas Tuchel's Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16. The Black-Yellows are also through to the DFB Cup round of 16, where Werder Bremen await, and sit fourth in the Bundesliga, seven points adrift of leaders RB Leipzig.

Hakimi (c.) has been Dortmund's secret weapon in the UEFA Champions League so far this season. - 2019 Getty Images

Hakimi, who was on the initial shortlist for the CAF's Player of the Year prize, was also among the goals in his most recent outing for Morocco. He scored his second goal in 28 senior international appearances in the Atlas Lions' 3-0 victory over Burundi in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying on 19 November 2019.