In a continent spoilt with many attacking talents, very few would have predicted Achraf Hakimi showing so many qualities.
It is still early days though but the Moroccan has done enough to be considered as the best player at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, according to stats from en.goldenrivieracasino.com.
Africa’s biggest soccer fiesta has lived up to expectations, parked with suspense, intrigues and surprises. Who would have thought that debutants, the Gambia would reach the last eight at the expense of Guinea?
Ranked 150, the West Africans is sandwiched between Afghanistan and Yemen – two war-torn counties. Still unbeaten, they outwitted Mauritania, held Mali and beat Tunisia before sending Guinea parking. Cameroon awaits in Yaounde.
On the individual level, while the likes of Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane are yet to come to the party, Hakimi has taken the show to another. The Moroccan right-back is churning out impressive performances in Cameroon.
Morocco has been solid. Although without much glamour, Vahid Halilhodzic’s side have done the simple task of getting the job done.
After successive victories over Ghana and Comoros, the Atlas Lions needed their Paris Saint-Germain superstar to step forward for a share of the spoils against Gabon. The 24-year-old, who love games at casino online, struck a beautiful free-kick during the closing stages to snatch a 2-2 draw.
He stepped up again against Malawi in the last 16 and crucially his goal decided that tie. Like the first, it was sublime free-kick from outside the box.
A breath-taking dipping curler into the top right-hand corner, Hakimi’s masterpiece showed all the precision and power necessary to compete with the best in the world – which is exactly what Hakimi has to do at PSG, where a certain trio of superstars would seem to be above him in the pecking order.
Hakimi is already making records. As per Opta, he is the first player to score two direct free kick goals at the same Africa Cup of Nations edition since Geremi with Cameroon in 2008. His teammate Kylian Mbappe wrote: “ACHRAF HAKIMI. BEST RB IN THE WORLD. GOOD NIGHT GUYS”.
“In Paris, we have a lot of players who can take free kicks. There’s Messi, Neymar, Mbappé and I try, but it’s difficult. I’ll speak to them when I get back to Paris,” Hakimi said in a post-match interview with ESPN. “Right now I’m focusing on the national team, but afterwards, we’ll see what happens in Paris.”
Halilhodzic isn’t quite ready to hand the uber-talented youngster penalty-taking duties, but he cannot fault the youngster’s work ethic and the added value he brings to the Lions of Atlas.
“After training he always wants to shoot and take free kicks,” former LOSC, Rennes, PSG and Nantes coach Halilhodzic said.
“He’s among the last there in training, always taking free kicks from both sides. Now he even wants penalties, but I’ve said to him: ‘When you’re taking penalties for Paris, then you can take them for us’. With Neymar and Mbappé there, it won’t be easy. But he’s a lad with remarkable technique and a phenomenal shot, and that’s a real weapon for us when the team’s play isn’t working – there he is to score and all the better for us.”
Whether or not Morocco make it past Egypt, Hakimi has sure done well for himself.
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