Tag: Achraf Hakimi

African player of the year Achraf Hakimi will make his first appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations when hosts Morocco play Zambia today, coach Walid Regragui confirmed.

 “What he has done to come back is extraordinary. What I can say is that Achraf will play tomorrow,” Regragui  in Rabat, on the eve of Morocco’s last group game.

 “Whether he starts or not it will be his first match at the AFCON.

 “What we want – because we want to go as far as possible – is that Achraf progresses with the team and that we can keep him for the whole competition.”

Hakimi has not played since suffering an ankle injury in action for Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of November and was an unused substitute in Morocco’s first two matches at the Cup of Nations.

Without him, Morocco beat Comoros 2-0 in the tournament’s opening game before being held to a 1-1 draw by Mali on Friday.

They sit top of Group A with four points from two outings and a win against Zambia will allow them to advance to the last 16 in first place in their section. A draw will also guarantee their spot in the knockout phase.

Read Also: AFCON 2025: Arabinrin Aderonke praises Super Eagles after victory over Tunisia

 “I think people don’t realise what Achraf brings to our team,” Regragui added. “We have played two games without our best player, our leader and captain, but we have not hidden. Other players have stood in for him.

 “But would we be a different team with Achraf? Of course. He is the best player in Africa, one of the best in the world.”

Hakimi admitted his frustration at not having taken part in either of the first two matches and said he was disappointed that Moroccan supporters had jeered the hosts during the draw against Mali.

 “We know it is not easy sometimes, that they want us to win and finish games by half-time, but we have to respect our opponents too,” said the defender who helped PSG win the Champions League last season.

 “It is not normal for them to boo us. We want to have the supporters behind us.

 “I experienced that at Paris Saint-Germain when we were not winning in the Champions League, we were losing games, people said we were not a great team and didn’t have a great coach, but we went on to be champions of Europe.

 “If the fans are behind us we can be champions of Africa together.”

Meanwhile Hakimi added he was delighted to see his friend and former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe, now with Real Madrid, in the crowd at the match against Mali.

 “It is really nice to see my friend here in my country. He really likes Morocco and comes here whenever he can with his family. He loves the food here!”

Hosts Morocco have included African Footballer of the Year Achraf Hakimi in their 26-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, confident he will recover from an ankle injury in time to play.

There had been concern about the full back’s availability for the tournament, which kicks off on December 21, after suffering a severe sprain of his left ankle during Paris St Germain’s 2-1 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League last month.

Coach Walid Regragui had already expressed optimism that Hakimi would be available to captain the team in the opening match against Comoros in Rabat.

“He’s been working hard since his injury and doing what he has to do. He’s a hard worker. He wants to be there from the first match,” the Moroccan coach told French radio at the weekend.

Left out of the squad, but named as a reserve is Lille striker Hamza Igamane, who hurt his adductors playing against Olympique de Marseille last Friday.

Igamane has made a major impact in Ligue 1 and with the Morocco side and was expected to be a starter at the tournament for the hosts.

Read Also: AFCON 2025: Chelle names Osimhen, Nwabali, 25 others in final Super Eagles squad

Morocco, who were semi-finalists at the last World Cup and are heavily fancied for home success, also take on Mali and Zambia in Group A.

Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal), Munir El Kajoui (Renaissance Berkane), El Mehdi Al Harrar (Raja Casablanca)

Defenders: Nayef Aguerd (Olympique de Marseille), Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal (Stade Rennais), Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids), Jawad El Yamiq (Al Najma), Achraf Hakimi (Paris St Germain), Adam Masina (Torino), Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United), Romain Saiss (Al Sadd), Anass Salah-Eddine (PSV Eindhoven)

Midfielders: Sofyan Amrabat (Real Betis), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Bayer Leverkusen), Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid), Neil El Aynaoui (AS Roma), Bilal El Khannous (VfB Stuttgart), Azzedine Ounahi (Girona), Oussama Targhaline (Feyenoord)

Forwards: Ilias Akhomach (Villarreal), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiakos), Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahce), Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis), Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain), Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland).

Ajibade, Nnadozie, Madugu, Super Falcons to shine’

Paris Saint Germain inspirational Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi is widely regarded as the favourite to be crowned the new African Footballer of the Year at the 2025 CAF Awards Gala tonight despite   stiff competition from Egypt’s Liverpool striker, Mohammed Salah and Nigeria’s Galatasaray forward, Victor Osimhen.

The trio made the final shortlist of three and the identity of the successor to Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman would not be known until later today before the crème de la crème of African football at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Rabat. The ceremony will begin at 19h00 local time and 7:00pm Nigerian time.

Last year, local fans were left in frustration after Ademola walked away with the title as he succeeded his compatriot and Super Eagle’s team mate, Osimhen.  But Hakimi is being considered by many as a strong favourite to win the award this year, having finished as runner-up in the previous two editions.

Incidentally,  former Nigerian captain and coach Sunday Oliseh has long hinted that  Hakimi was a top contender for the 2025 honours following his pivotal role in PSG successful season, where the team won the French Ligue 1, the French Cup and their first-ever UEFA Champions League title in 2025. He believes Hakimi’s strong performances and significant trophy haul make him a deserving candidate for top individual awards.

“What else, Hakimi has already done well to be the next African Footballer of the Year,” Oliseh, 1994 AFCON Winner and 1996 Olympics soccer gold medallist, told NationSport in a file interview. “Did you see the opening goal he scored in the final of the Champions League (against Inter Milan?

“We shouldn’t forget that Hakimi is a right back and it was him that did the tap in to score (against Inter) and after, you’ll find him defending again?

Read Also: CAF Awards: Osimhen makes final three for  Men’s POTY

 “C’mon, Hakimi has collected his thing,” Oliseh added with an air of finality.

Elsewhere, Nigerian stars are certainly expected to be on the honours roll tonight in the women’s category with Captain Rasheedat Ajibade and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie favourites for the Women’s Best Player and women’s Best Goalkeeper awards respectively.

No guessing for the likely winner of the Women’s Team of the Year award for the Super Falcons following their 10th WAFCON title with Coach Justin Madugu expected to be crowned the Women’s Best Coach of the Year.

This year’s  would be co-presented by two  towering  music and entertainment giants, five –time Grammy Awards winner, Beninese Angélique Kidjo and  Moroccan comedian, actor and showman, Oualass.

Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi will be out for at least six weeks after suffering a severely-strained right ankle, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

The right back was on the receiving end of a rough Luis Díaz tackle just before half time in PSG’s clash against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Díaz was sent off after intervention from VAR and Hakimi, on the day of his 27th birthday, was stretchered off with tears in his eyes.

Scans on Wednesday revealed Hakimi hadn’t suffered a fracture and won’t require surgery, sources told ESPN.

The Morocco international will have to stay immobilised for two weeks before starting his rehabilitation that will be at least four weeks, sources said.

Hakimi’s injury puts his participation at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, which Morocco are hosting, at risk.

Sources at PSG fear he might not make it back in time for the group stages of the tournament, which begins on Dec. 21, but feel he could return in time for the knockout rounds.

Read Also: Reps to probe alleged misuse of FIFA grants by NFF

Díaz took to social media after the match to wish Hakimi well.

“It was a night full of emotions, ” he said on Instagram .”Football always reminds us that, in 90 minutes, anything can happen the best and the worst. I was sad not to finish the match with my teammates, but proud of their incredible effort.

“Wishing Hakimi a quick return to the pitch.”

Hakimi was one of three players injured against Bayern on Tuesday. Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé suffered a calf strain on his return from a hamstring injury while Nuno Mendes sprained his left knee, PSG confirmed Wednesday.

Per sources, they are unlikely to return to action before the end of the year.

Díaz has been similarly important for Bayern with 10 goals in his first 16 games for the German champions. He’s set to miss the Champions League visit to Arsenal on Nov. 26 following his red card.

Paris Saint-Germain star Achraf Hakimi, who is being investigated over an alleged rape, said he has “peace of mind” and expects to be cleared of the accusations.

Last month, French prosecutors called for the 26-year-old Morocco international to face trial over the allegations that he raped a 24-year-old woman that he had met over social media.

 “I know that what I am accused of is a lie,” Hakimi told journalist Mouloud Achour in an interview for the “Clique” show to be aired on Canal+, a clip of which was broadcast on Wednesday night.

“I know that I have not done anything and that I would never do that,” the Madrid-born Hakimi said in Spanish.

 “Today, I have peace of mind…. hoping that the truth will soon be revealed.”

Hakimi, who helped Morocco to their historic progress to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, was charged in March, 2023 with raping the woman.

Hakimi allegedly paid for his accuser to travel to his home on February 25, 2023, in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt while his wife, from whom he has since divorced, and children were away on holiday.

Read Also: Tanzania’s Simba Queens sign  Edo Queens’  captain Odoma

The woman went to a police station following the encounter alleging rape and was questioned by police.

Although the woman refused to make a formal accusation, prosecutors decided to press charges against the player.

Hakimi insists that he is the victim of an extortion attempt.

On August 1, the Nanterre prosecutor’s office told AFP that they had requested that the investigating judge refer the rape charge to a criminal court.

 “Nothing in the case lends in any way to a characterising of extortion,” the alleged victim’s lawyer Rachel-Flore Pardo told AFP. “Mr Hakimi is trying to create a counter-fire that we are used to in cases of sexual violence.”

Hakimi has continued to play for PSG and his country since the allegations first surfaced, even winning the Champions League with the Qatari-owned French club in May.

The Atlas Lions of Morocco and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi has beaten Super Eagles midfielder Moses Simon to the  Top African player award  in the French Ligue 1 for the outgoing season.

Hakimi helped his club win a record-extending 13^th  Ligue 1 title and also progressed to the Champions League final with the French side with a final in view against Inter Milan.

The 26-year-old Moroccan right back won the Marc-Vivien Foe award ahead of other African stars including  Nice forward  and Ivorian International Evann Guessand as well as  Senegalese midfielder Habib Diarra, who plays for Strasbourg.

The prize is named after the late Foe, the Cameroon player and two-time African champions  who collapsed and died on a field in France in 2003 while playing for his country in the FIFA Confederation Cup semi-final tie against Colombia.

Hakimi, regarded as one of the best right-backs in the world, scored last week as PSG defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal.

He is the second defender to win the award after Congolese player Chancel Mbemba in 2023.

Read Also: PSG’s Hakimi’s wife breaks silence on rape allegations

He’s also the fourth Moroccan, following: Marouane Chamakh in 2009, Younès Belhanda in 2012 and Sofiane Boufal in 2016

Gabonese international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang won the honour in 2024 in the colours of Olympique Marseille.

PSG is hoping for their first-ever treble this season. In addition to the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31, the club from the capital faces Reims in the French Cup final.

Meanwhile, PSG star Ousmane Dembele  was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year.

The France international has produced career best form this season as he’s helped PSG reach the final of the Champions League, the Coupe de France and also win Ligue 1 this season.

The former Barcelona winger said at Sunday’s awards gala: “I feel fulfilled at Paris-Saint-Germain. I learn every day and in fact this position as number 9 helps me a lot in the central area.

“I was a player happy to be on the wing, who dribbled, who tried to create the difference, and in fact with this slightly more central position I am more in the heart of the game and closer to the goal, this helps me to score.

“I am happy with this position.”