Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi is fit and ready to take part in the host nation’s Africa Cup of Nations but will not be allowed to start in the tournament’s opening match, coach Walid Regragui said on Saturday.
«Tomorrow will be my decision, but he has done more than his job. His injury was not easy,» Regragui told reporters in Rabat, where Morocco will play Comoros in their first match on Sunday.
“I still have one night to sleep and decide whether he starts or whether we protect him and see how it goes in the remaining games.
Paris Saint-Germain right-back Hakimi, the African player of the year, has not played since dropping out of the Champions League match against Bayern Munich on November 4 with a left ankle injury.
The 27-year-old left the field in tears that evening, clearly fearful for his chances of competing in the Cup of Nations. The injury was later diagnosed as a severe sprain.
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«I feel good. I am following the program given to me by the medical staff and the coach,» Hakimi, who also finished sixth in the Ballon d’Or rankings this year, said on Saturday.
Regragui added: “He has made sacrifices in the last four or five weeks that no one else could have made and has set an example for the other players and staff.
“Today we can see that the protocol we put in place after his injury has been more than positive, but now we have the entire competition to manage.”
Morocco will also face Mali and Zambia in Group A as they look to win their first Cup of Nations since 1976.
The tournament will run into the new year and conclude with the final in Rabat on January 18.
Published on December 20, 2025
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