Morocco selects injured captain Hakimi for AFCON team

Morocco selects injured captain Hakimi for AFCON team
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Morocco has added injured captain Achraf Hakimi to a 26-player roster announced on Thursday for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 27-year-old defender twisted his ankle following a foul during Paris Saint-Germains match against Bayern Munich last month in the UEFA Champions League.

After the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington last Friday, manager Walid Regragui commented: "We expect him (Hakimi) to be fit for our opener against the Comoros."

The hosts Morocco will take on the Comorans on December 21 in Rabat for the kickoff of the biennial African football event.

Mentioning the newly awarded 2025 African player of the year Hakimi, Regragui continued: "He is recovering well. He is getting stronger. He is eager to join us (in Morocco). He is our leader, our captain." 

Morocco sits in Group A alongside the Comoros, Mali and Zambia. Group victors and second-placed teams advance directly to the knockout rounds, joined by the top four among the six third-place finishers. 

Additional key Atlas Lions players, such as keeper Yassine Bounou, Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat and forward Youssef En-Nesyri, are included.

Morocco aims to claim the AFCON title for a second time. They tied with Guinea in 1976 in Ethiopia to top a competition made up solely of small groups.

Just three of the 13 AFCON hosting nations this century, Tunisia, Egypt and the Ivory Coast, have lifted the trophy.    

Squad

Goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal/KSA), Munir El Kajoui (Renaissance Berkane), El Mehdi Al Harrar (Raja Casablanca)

Defenders: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA, capt), Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids/EGY), Jawad El Yamiq (Al-Najma/KSA), Romain Saiss (Al Sadd/QAT), Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal (Rennes/FRA), Nayef Aguerd (Marseille/FRA), Adam Masina (Torino/ITA), Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester Utd/ENG), Anass Salah-Eddine (PSV Eindhoven/NED)

Midfielders: Oussama Targhalline (Feyenoord/NED), Sofyan Amrabat (Real Betis/ESP), Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven/NED), Neil El Aynaoui (Roma/ITA), Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart/GER), Azzedine Ounahi (Girona/ESP)

Forwards: Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid/ESP), Ilias Akhomach (Villarreal/ESP), Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland/ENG), Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahce/TUR), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos/GRE), Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain/UAE), Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis/ESP), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Bayer Leverkusen/GER)

Standby: Youssef Belammari (Raja), Hamza Igamane (Lille/FRA)