Achraf Hakimi, the 27-year-old right-back for Paris Saint-Germain and captain of Morocco, held a press conference on the eve of the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations this Sunday against Comoros. He took the opportunity to discuss his return from injury and whether or not he would play in the opening match.
Hakimi: “I feel ready.”
“After my injury, I told myself I didn’t want to miss this AFCON at home. I told the coach straight away that I didn’t want to miss it and that I would make choices to be there with the team. I don’t know when I’ll play, but I feel ready; it’s a good schedule. We’ve worked hard, we’ve put in the effort, and we’ll see. I don’t think about individual things. If I don’t have to play, or if I only have to play 20 minutes so the team can win, I’ll take it.
I want to see Morocco lift this trophy on January 18 (the day of the final).” Whether I play or not isn’t a problem; I want Morocco to win. I want to talk about the team. I’ve already seen how it went at PSG; the team is always stronger than the individual. Together, we’re going to achieve great things,” these remarks were reported by Foot Mercato.
Therefore, it’s not a question of saying whether he’ll play tomorrow or not, possibly because it’s not yet certain. He’s been able to resume team training for a few days now, so it’s a possibility. But it’s far from guaranteed, as caution is also necessary.
The competition isn’t decided by a single match. Hakimi mentions PSG, and we can also consider the example of coach Luis Enrique, who trusts all his players rather than forcing a return. Let’s wait and see how much playing time he’ll get this Sunday. The thinking must be collective in any case, as the Parisian full-back emphasizes.
