Regragui: Hakimi's Role in Morocco May Be Underestimated

National coach Walid Regragui highlighted the importance of Achraf Hakimi's presence in the Moroccan national team, emphasizing that his role is not always sufficiently appreciated.

Speaking at the press conference ahead of the Zambia match, Regragui stated, “Our goal, from the beginning, is to go far in this tournament, and that's why we want Achraf Hakimi to develop with the group and be present throughout the competition.”

He continued, “The plan is progressing as desired, and we are happy with that. I don't want to mention other national teams, but if a player like Sadio Mané were absent from Senegal or Mohamed Salah from Egypt, it would be said that the team missed its best players.”

He concluded, “Today, in Morocco, this isn't talked about much, and perhaps Hakimi's role is underestimated – I don't know, maybe because people aren't aware of it. But in any case, I feel that with Achraf, we will become a more solid and stronger team, and that is certain.”

It is worth noting that Morocco faces Zambia tomorrow, Monday (20:00 GMT+1), in the third and final match of Group A.