Mohamed Ouahbi Defends Hakimi After Morocco Victory

Morocco’s victory against Scotland (1-0) could have remained purely sporting. But at the post-match press conference, Mohamed Ouahbi was quickly questioned about Achraf Hakimi, referred to trial for rape. A question clearly not appreciated by the Moroccan coach, who preferred to bring the debate back to his player’s performance on the pitch.

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When asked about any hesitation in starting Achraf Hakimi after this judicial decision, Mohamed Ouahbi replied curtly: "Did you watch the match?" Before continuing: "Achraf Hakimi looked very, very good, on top of the world. We’re behind him and he played a very strong match." The tone was clear: for the coach, the Moroccan fullback’s performance already answered the question.

Mohamed Ouahbi then insisted on his player’s state of mind. "We’re very calm, and especially him, very calm about it. And I felt him calm, and he played a very strong match," he added. A way of showing that the Moroccan staff did not want to let this matter disturb the match preparation.

Pressed a few moments later on how Hakimi and the group planned to handle the whistles, Mohamed Ouahbi again closed the door. "I don’t see why we should talk about management or anything else," he replied, showing even more apparent irritation. The coach then described a normal day for his player: "He woke up in the morning, he ate like everyone else, he prepared himself, he motivated everyone, he was in the dressing room, he was focused."

For Mohamed Ouahbi, no particular discussion was therefore necessary with Achraf Hakimi. "We didn’t have to say anything. We didn’t have to say anything, we have nothing to say, we’re just behind him," he hammered. The Moroccan coach also wanted to display total support for his player: "We’re very calm, he’s very calm."

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Mohamed Ouahbi even went further by placing Achraf Hakimi at the center of his project. "He’s the best right fullback in the world, and he’ll show it in this World Cup," he said. Before recalling the importance of the player in the Moroccan squad: "He’s also a person who is very, very important to me, to the staff, to the players and to the 44 million Moroccans."