The Achraf Hakimi situation remains central ahead of Morocco-Zambia, as it touches on both the field and leadership. Regragui explained that he wants to bring Hakimi back “with rhythm,” aiming for a build-up before the knockout stage. “We hope he will get some playing time against Zambia so that he is ready for the round of 16… With Achraf, there will be even more impact and speed. And he is a leader,” he stated.
The coach also detailed, after the Mali match, why he did not want to force Hakimi’s return: Hakimi was “predisposed” to come on, but the match context led the staff to avoid taking risks. “In the third match, we have a chance to see Achraf start or come on… we preferred not to take risks,” he explained.
On the captain’s side, recent public statements leaned towards a collective approach: feeling good, but accepting any role if the team wins. As I write, the easily accessible sources I consulted confirm his presence at the press conference on the eve of the match, but they have not yet published a complete verbatim of his remarks “today.”
