Achraf Hakimi, the 27-year-old right-back for Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco, spoke to reporters in the mixed zone on Friday evening after the 1-1 draw in a friendly match. In comments reported by ParisSG Infos, he was full of praise for his PSG teammate and Ecuadorian defender Willian Pacho (24), as well as his team.
Hakimi: “He’s a great guy.”
“I’ve gotten along really well with Pacho since he arrived at PSG. He’s a great guy and we wish him all the best.
We know Ecuador has good players, I know Pacho and we talked about him. They made things difficult for us, and this draw is deserved.”
Hakimi: “I’m sure they’ll go far.”
“They’re a team that has been playing together for a long time and is on a good run. We share the same goal: to win the World Cup. I’m sure they’ll go far.”
Hakimi and Pacho were captains of their national teams yesterday, providing an opportunity for a great reunion between the Parisians. The Ecuadorian undoubtedly appreciates his teammate’s positive words. The latter didn’t forget to praise Ecuador, a strong team to be taken very seriously at the World Cup. They may not be one of the “big names,” but their third-place finish in the South American zone was no fluke. We saw that they have a particularly strong defense, although that shouldn’t be the sole defining characteristic of the team.
We’ll have to wait a little longer to follow this team, especially in the World Cup. First, there’s a crucial end to the season, with PSG aiming to win Ligue 1 and the Champions League again. They can rely on the strong understanding, both on and off the pitch, between Hakimi and Pacho, among others.
