\n
RABAT, Morocco (AP) – Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi has recovered from an ankle injury and is back in time for the match. africa cup of nations<\/span>said both the player and coach Walid Reglagui on Saturday before the team’s opening game.<\/p>\nThe current African Player of the Year is unlikely to start in Sunday’s tournament opener against tiny Comoros, but Leglagui said Hakimi could feature if needed.<\/p>\n
“He has made sacrifices for his country over the last four or five weeks that no one else could. That alone makes him an example for the players and the staff,” Leglaghi said. \u201cI would say that the protocols we put in place immediately after his injury have been more than sufficient.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hakimi is Injured due to reckless tackle<\/span> He was acquired from Bayern Munich forward Luis Diaz while playing for Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in November. Diaz, who was sent off for the challenge, later wished Hakimi a “soon return.”<\/p>\nHakimi was selected for Morocco’s national team despite not appearing in a match since then. There are many talented players in the team, including Nousser Mazraoui, Elies Ben Segir and Brahim Dias, but few have the experience that Hakimi brought after winning the championship. Champions League with PSG<\/span> In May.<\/p>\n“Starting tomorrow we will see what happens with him, how we protect him and how the games in the upcoming competitions will be. We will make a decision tomorrow,” Leglaghi said. “His injury was not a simple one. He made a tough decision for his country. For that, as a coach and of course as a Moroccan, I want to thank him in front of everyone. He is a true example. Tomorrow we will find out whether he starts or not, he may or may not start.”<\/p>\n
“I feel good,” Hakimi said, but the team was more important than his own condition.<\/p>\n
royal pressure<\/h2>\n
Morocco, the 1976 champions, are under huge pressure to win their second African Cup title. Expectations have been high since the team became the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup.<\/p>\n
The country, which will co-host the World Cup in 2030, has invested heavily in stadiums, training facilities and infrastructure. Aiming to become a soccer powerhouse<\/span>. The initiative is being overseen by Fawzi Rekjar, a member of the FIFA Council, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation and government finance minister who is ultimately responsible to King Mohammed VI.<\/p>\nSaturday’s press conference was flanked by portraits of King Mohammed VI, as if to remind Mr. Regulagi and Mr. Hakimi who they were working for. Another disappointment of the African Cup \u2014 Hakimi missed a late penalty Morocco lost to South Africa<\/span> Having been eliminated in the last 16 of the last edition, Regulagi could lose his job months before the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.<\/p>\n“I’m focused on the moment because I have to win,” Regulagi said. “We are also preparing for the future, because there is 2026 and there is also 2030. So in 2030 they will have a first-class team with a lot of experience. That is my goal. I am working for myself, but also for the future of Morocco.”<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
AP Soccer: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/soccer<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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