Morocco’s Hakimi in Ten Players to Watch in Africa’s World Cup Playoffs

Moroccan international and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star Achraf Hakimi appeared in the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) list of ten players to watch in the World Cup qualifying playoffs.

The African football body released on March 23 a list of “ten players to watch” in the continent’s qualifying playoffs for the FIFA World Cup, to be hosted in Qatar in 2022.

Hakimi appeared in a list that included ten players from ten African teams vying to qualify for the world’s most prestigious tournament to be held this year.

The list includes Algeria's Riyad Mahrez, Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar, DR Congo’s Theo Bongonda, Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, Ghana’s Thomas Partey, Mali’s Yves Bissouma, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen, Senegal’s Sadio Mane, and Tunisia’s Youssef Msakni.

Africa’s playoffs will include two-legged thrilling games to decide which five teams will book a ticket to this year’s World Cup.

CAF’s statement highlighted Hakimi’s spectacular performance and good form, both with the French club and his recent phenomenal success with the Atlas Lions.

The Moroccan international has showcased his skills in this year’s AFCON in Cameroon, proving “phenomenal for Morocco in their recent successes,” according to the African football body.

During his time with Morocco’s Atlas Lions, Hakimi has scored seven goals in 46 games since his international debut in 2016.

Hakimi was named one of the finest footballers of 2021 by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) on December 7, 2021.

He was named the greatest right-back in the world by ESPN just a few days before this nomination, outperforming several well-known players in his position, including England international and Liverpool standout Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi was similarly voted into the EA Sports FIFA 22 team of the year. The 23-year-old star featured among a list that included some of the world’s best players of the year.

Morocco’s Atlas Lions are set to face off the Democratic Republic of Congo tomorrow at the Stadium of Martyrs in the Congolese capital of Kinshasa at 4 p.m. The second leg is scheduled on March 29 in Casablanca’s Mohamed V at 7.30 p.m.

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