CAN 2025 - Morocco: "When you have Achraf Hakimi, you learn a lot", says Walid Regragui | OneFootball

Achraf Hakimi

Walid Regragui delivered high praise for Achraf Hakimi on the eve of the semi-final clash between Morocco and Nigeria.

Tomorrow marks the semi-final of this CAN 2025, pitting Nigeria against Morocco at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. Head coach Walid Regragui heaped accolades on his captain Achraf Hakimi, who is set to start barring any last-minute setback against the Super Eagles. The PSG star's resilience drew special praise from Regragui during the pre-match press conference.

https://twitter.com/CAF_Online/status/2011000271258677418?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"He has been the torchbearer of our dream for two years. We've talked a lot, he is on a mission. Achraf is getting stronger. It was impossible for him to be at 100% in his first half hour against Zambia. Then, he played the full 90 minutes against Tanzania. (...) And against Cameroon, he put in a solid performance (…). He was down with the flu before the Cameroon match, and we were a bit concerned because there’s always a risk of muscle injuries when coming back from the flu. But despite that, he played 90 minutes. That tells you the kind of player he is," said Regragui.

Regragui also admitted he feels almost lucky to coach the PSG full-back: "Mentally, when you’re a coach and you have a player like Achraf, you’re happy but you also learn a lot. You realize what it means to have a player of this caliber."