Netherlands/Morocco – Hakimi's powerful words after qualification | OneFootball

Achraf Hakimi, the 27-year-old right-back for Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco, spoke to beIN SPORTS after qualifying for the 2026 World Cup round of 16 following a penalty shootout win over the Netherlands (1-1, 2-3 on penalties).

Hakimi: “We were well prepared physically, we knew it would be tough. Mentally too.”

A completely crazy match?

It was very complicated, we knew who we were playing against. We were well prepared physically, we knew it would be tough. Mentally too. We stayed focused until the end and we felt the full mentality of this team. We’re proud of the win.

You never doubted?

No, we knew, we had already shown our character, like against Haiti. We stayed calm, we knew it would come. Issa came in to score with a header, he deserves it and we’re proud.

Hakimi: “A lot of people thought what happened in Qatar was luck”

Morocco is a major football nation now, officially?

As you say. A lot of people thought what happened in Qatar was luck. We stayed focused, hard work pays off. We also had to stay humble, we’ve done that from the start and we’ll keep doing it.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.