The right back of Morocco and Paris SG, injured in his ankle since the beginning of November, will play his first minutes in the African Cup of Nations on Monday.
It’s time for the big comeback. Injured with Paris SG and engaged in a time trial to compete in the African Cup of Nations with Morocco, Achraf Hakimi sees the end of the tunnel. The best right back in the world, elected African Ballon d’Or in 2025, will play with his selection against Zambia on Monday evening during the third day of the competition. A match which should send Morocco (1st in group A with 4 points) to the round of 16. Starter or replacement, that’s another story, but the PSG player is on the verge of succeeding in his mission.
«Could a coach do without his Ballon d’Or», Falsely questioned Walid Regragui at a press conference on Sunday. The coach of the Atlas Lions wanted to pay tribute to his player, who did everything to get back on his feet and compete in the CAN in front of the Moroccan public.
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Regragui welcomes PSG’s attitude
« People don’t realize Achraf’s contribution to our team. We played two matches without our Ballon d’Or, our leader, our captain, our best player. Players take over very well, but would we be a different team with Achraf? Certainly. We have the best player in Africa, one of the best in the world. We had planned this in our progress. » The technician also wanted to salute the attitude of Paris SG. “The club was very classy, president Nasser (Al-Khelaïfi) Also. Not a club in the world would have left it available two weeks before (the competition). Thanks to them, thanks to PSG. If today Achraf is back, it is also thanks to them. »
« Will he start or not? In any case, it will be his first CAN match. We want to go as far as possible in the competition”
Walid Regragui
Semi-finalist of the 2022 World Cup, beaten by the Blues, Morocco is advancing as one of the big favorites for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Even if the last match against Mali (1-1), concluded under the whistles of the public, testifies to the progress to be made to dream of a victory. The return of the Parisian full-back, very important on and off the field for the selection, can also change the situation. Regragui is aware of this.
«Ashraf, what he did is extraordinaryconcludes the coach. In terms of leadership, care to come back. We are managing it. What is certain is that he will play tomorrow (Monday). Will he start or not? In any case, it will be his first CAN match. We want to go as far as possible in the competition (…) The plan is being successful.” Start of response Monday evening, 8 p.m.
