Despite struggling against Mali in their second Africa Cup of Nations match, Morocco chose not to bring on Achraf Hakimi, even though the PSG full-back is now fully recovered from his left ankle injury. Head coach Walid Regraguilater explained the decision.
After a difficult but successful opening match against Comoros (2–0), the Atlas Lions were put under serious pressure by Mali on Friday night. Morocco took the lead from the penalty spot, but Mali equalized in the same way and pushed Regragui’s side until the final whistle.
Once again, Hakimi started on the bench, although he was seen warming up during the match.
Hakimi Was Close to Coming On
With his team under pressure, Regragui ultimately decided not to risk his captain — a choice he justified after the match:
“Today, he was prepared to come on for about ten minutes, but given the situation, the intensity of the match and the scoreline, we preferred not to take any risks.”
Morocco are still not mathematically qualified for the knockout stage despite collecting four points from two matches. They return to action on Monday night against Zambia, and Hakimi is expected to be involved this time.
“In the third match, there’s a good chance we’ll see Achraf start or come on to get the engine going,” Regragui added.
An Eight-Week Absence
If Hakimi does return against Zambia, it would mark almost exactly eight weeks out, having been injured on November 3 during PSG’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich (1–2 defeat), after a challenge involving Luis Díaz.
That recovery timeline aligns with initial expectations and supports Morocco’s cautious approach with their captain.
Regragui also stressed that Hakimi’s return on Monday is not absolutely mandatory:
“What’s certain is that he will be ready for the knockout matches.”
Should Morocco qualify — which appears likely — they will play their round-of-16 match between Saturday January 3 and Monday January 5, giving Hakimi additional time to regain full match fitness.