Injured, Achraf Hakimi races against time before the AFCON in Morocco

Uncertain participation for Achraf Hakimi in the 2025 Morocco AFCON. The PSG Moroccan defender was injured after a violent tackle by Luis Díaz, who was sent off. The right-back is suffering from a syndesmotic ligament rupture with a slight deltoid involvement and should be away from the pitch for two months. A blow for the Atlas Lions who will have to do without their captain during this continental tournament played at home. Faced with this situation, Walid Regragui, the coach of the Moroccan team, will be forced to revise his list and provide a replacement for the star of the Parisian club.

However, the Moroccan coach will be able to count on Brahim Díaz, the star striker of Real Madrid, to make the difference during this AFCON, whose kick-off is scheduled for December 21. Regragui, who led the Atlas Lions to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a first for an African team in the history of the competition, just three months after taking office, intends to continue to achieve exploits.

Since Regragui’s arrival on August 31, 2022 to replace Vahid Halilhodžić, the Moroccan national team has impressive statistics: 29 wins in 40 matches, only 4 losses, 82 goals scored and 17 conceded. The Moroccan team has not conceded a goal for 27 matches, establishing itself as one of the most solid in the world. In the FIFA ranking, the Atlas Lions have moved from 22nd to 12th place, overtaking Senegal, the leader in the African ranking. With a united collective, without Achraf Hakimi, Morocco aims to win the AFCON at home and thus win a second African star.