Morocco’s Hakimi Shines in AFCON, Receives Praise from PSG Teammate Mbappé

Asked to comment on his sublime free kick against Malawi, Achraf Hakimi said he was happy to have brought the victory to the team. "When I scored against Gabon, it was a beautiful goal, one of the best of my career. I was pleased to score again on a free kick. I don’t know which one is the best, I’ll watch them again later (laughs). I’m happy to have been able to bring the victory to the team."

Questioned about the fact that he could become the designated penalty taker for PSG, the right-back explained that the competition is tough. "At PSG, it’s complicated. Because there’s Messi, but also Neymar and Mbappé. I’ll focus on the national team and then we’ll see." He took the opportunity to talk about the message his teammate and friend Kylian Mbappé sent him. "He’s not just my friend, he’s a great player who helps the team so much and does a lot of things. I’m so proud to hear such things from such a player," Hakimi added.

The Moroccan national team qualified for the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), after its victory over Malawi with a score of 2-1 (half-time 1-1), Tuesday evening at the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaoundé, in the round of 16. However, the Malawi team opened the scoring in the 7th minute. The Moroccans Youssef En-Nesyri and Achraf Hakimi scored the two goals for the Atlas Lions.