PSG right back, Achraf Hakimi is excited to join his teammates in Morocco camp ahead of the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament this month.
The Morocco right back was recently named among the final three nominees of the CAF Best Player of the Year award at a ceremony held in Marrakech, Morocco.
With huge expectations, Atlas Lions are touted as one of the favourites to win the AFCON after defying all the odds to becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. That was an unprecedented achievement.
“I’m very happy to join my teammates and continue working with the group. I want to thank all the fans who support me all the time, even in difficult times.” Hakimi said said at a training session of the Atlas Lions.
“I’m going to give my all for the national team, and I hope we will achieve some great things,” said the freshly crowned Champions trophy winner with PSG.
The Atlas Lions have not been top performers in the AFCON over the years. They struggled to end up in the last 4 since 2004 in Tunisia when they lost in the finals against the hosts.
Aftet failing to qualify in 2010, they didn’t go past the group stages in 2012 and 2013 editions when they made appearance.
They had a quarter-final appearances in 2017 and 2021, where they lost both games to Egypt, and they were eliminated by Benin in the Round of 16 in Egypt 2019.
