On Monday evening, almost two months after his ankle injury against Bayern Munich (following a very nasty tackle), Achraf Hakimi returned to competition. The 27-year-old Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco right-back’s appearance against Zambia (3-0, Matchday 3 of the Africa Cup of Nations) was praised by coach Walid Regragui and attacking midfielder Eliesse Ben Seghir (20 years old, Bayer Leverkusen). Comments relayed by Le Parisien.
Regragui: “We also protected Achraf.”
Walid Regragui:
“We were able to distribute the minutes and make substitutions quite early. We also protected Achraf. My role is to preserve the players so they can build up their fitness. It’s up to me to make the right choices and manage things well.”
Ben Seghir: “His return is a huge boost for us.” “
Eliesse Ben Seghir:
“We’re all very happy, we’re a family, so when someone is injured it hurts us all a little. Especially someone like Achraf who’s always with us, who brings joy and is a leader. His return is a huge boost for us. We know he’s been waiting a long time, he’s worked hard. We hope he’ll be even more ready for the upcoming matches.”
We can highlight the cautious approach taken by the Moroccan staff, given the potential impatience to have a key player back. Hakimi is one of the best in the world in his position; he would be a valuable asset to any team. But Morocco knew how to wait, while still achieving good results.
The full-back will now be able to build momentum and help his country progress in the Africa Cup of Nations. There’s a solid foundation to build towards achieving something great on home soil.” We will need to continue to be careful with Hakimi, even though we shouldn’t live in fear of a relapse.
