WILL ACHRAF HAKIMI LEAD MOROCCO: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIS AFCON FITNESS
Will Achraf Hakimi be fit for Morocco’s AFCON opener? Discover the latest injury news as the Atlas Lions prepare for the Comoros.
Achraf Hakimi's picture on social media in Rabat made every Moroccan football fan happy as the country gets ready to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) starting Sunday.
The 27-year-old Paris Saint-Germain star was seen wearing sunglasses, a red, white, and black sweater, baggy blue jeans, and dark suede sneakers.
But what he wasn't wearing was more telling. The surgical boot he had on his left foot while receiving the African Player of the Year award in Morocco last month was gone.
Hakimi, also picked for the 2025 FIFA Best XI this week, was hurt by a bad tackle from Luis Diaz during a UEFA Champions League game against Bayern Munich in Paris in November.
Diaz got a red card, but Hakimi had to leave the field with a badly sprained left ankle, leaving people wondering if he could play in the AFCON.
It was clear how bad the injury was when he walked with difficulty to get his award during the Confederation of African Football (CAF) event in Rabat.
Considered one of the best right-backs around, he's a key player for Morocco if they want to win the AFCON trophy for the second time after waiting for five decades.
But it's not clear when he'll be able to wear the red and green of the Atlas Lions, who have been ranked No. 1 in Africa since surprisingly making it to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals in Qatar.
Reports say that Hakimi came to Morocco with a doctor and physiotherapist from PSG and is still working on getting better. People are hoping he can begin practising later this week.
Everyone's wondering when the star, who played for Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, and Inter Milan before joining Paris in 2021, might come back.
Morocco's coach, Walid Regragui, said he doesn't want to risk his captain, which could mean he misses the three group stage games.
The team will play the Comoros in the first game on Sunday, then Mali on December 26, and Zambia three days later. All games will be at the 68,000-seat Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Mali could be their biggest challenge, but it's hard to see Morocco not finishing in the top two and moving on to the next stage.
The round of 16 starts on January 3, and that might be when Morocco hopes Hakimi, who was born in Madrid, will be ready to play.
"He's our leader, our captain," said Regragui, who was the first coach of an African team to reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Morocco is a strong team in Africa, but their AFCON record since winning the eight-team tournament in Ethiopia in 1976 isn't great.
Since that win in Addis Ababa, they've only made it to one final, losing 2-1 to Tunisia in 2004, when Regragui was the right-back.
They were favourites to win the title in Ivory Coast last year after their performance in Qatar, but they lost to South Africa in the round of 16.
But right now, Morocco is playing really well, going into the AFCON with a world record of 18 straight wins in competitive and friendly games.
They passed Spain, who had the previous record, in October by beating Congo Brazzaville in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, and then they beat Mozambique and Uganda in AFCON warm-up games.
Plus, Moroccan fans are some of the most passionate on the continent, so it's easy to see why the Atlas Lions are favourites to win again.
But being the host doesn't guarantee success in the top African football tournament, which started in 1957 with just three teams and is now a big event with 24 countries and a worldwide TV audience.
Since 2000, there have been 13 AFCON tournaments, and only three hosts—Tunisia, Egypt in 2006, and Ivory Coast last year—have won the title.
Morocco's chances of being the fourth host to win this century will be much better if Hakimi is healthy and can lead the Atlas Lions.
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
