Morocco coach Walid Regragui had left doubts lingering. Victim of a terrible tackle in the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain on November 4, was Achraf Hakimi going to hold his place for the opening match of the African Cup of Nations against the Comoros this Sunday? “It may start tomorrow… or not,” he declared.
The answer is no, the Parisian will start the competition on the bench. Anass Salah-Eddine starts in the Moroccan team, alongside Nayef Aguerd, Romain Saïss and Noussair Mazraoui. In midfield, Azzedine Ounahi, Sofyan Amrabat and Neil El Aynaoui will try to feed Brahim Diaz, Soufiane Rahimi and Ismael Saibari, holders in attack.
For Achraf Hakimi, this substitute position and his presence on the field for the warm-up are nevertheless positive indicators. At a press conference, Walid Regragui praised his player’s involvement. “I want to say thank you to Hakimi, he sacrificed like no other for his country. This is an example. The protocol is more than positive. But there is a competition to manage,” he declared, assuring that the African Ballon d’Or is an “example” in the Atlas Lions squad.
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