Morocco hosted Zambia this Monday evening in Rabat for its third group match of the Africa Cup of Nations, and thanked PSG before reactivating Achraf Hakimi, 55 days after his injury against Bayern Munich.

Achraf Hakimi finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel. Having suffered a severe sprain to his left ankle last Nov. 4 against Bayern Munich, the Paris Saint-Germain right-back is set to make his grand return to the pitch this Monday evening against Zambia. The Morocco captain could already have played last Friday against Mali (1-1), but was ultimately held back by Walid Regragui.

"Today, he was predisposed to come on for ten minutes but given the circumstances, the intensity and the result, we preferred not to take any risks," the Morocco manager explained last Friday evening in the post-match press conference, before adding: "For the third match, there's a chance we'll see Achraf start or come on to get the engine running."

Present at the press conference on Sunday before the match vs. Zambia, Hakimi gave an update on his condition.

"I feel good," confided the African Ballon d'Or winner. "With the coach and the medical staff, we followed a program. The coach managed me very well. I didn't feel 100% to play the last match (against Mali last Friday, ed.), but the coach knew I was available to help the team. The most important thing is not me, it's the team. Now, I feel much better. After that, it's the coach's choice, but if he needs me to play, I'm ready. Otherwise, I'll help the team from the bench, as I've already done. The objective is to win the Africa Cup of Nations."

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Morocco Manager Thanks PSG as Achraf Hakimi Makes AFCON Return

Following this answer, Regragui confirmed the return of his leader, 55 days after his injury against Bayern Munich: "Achraf, what he has done in terms of leadership, the care to come back, it's extraordinary, and we are managing him. What is certain is that Achraf will play tomorrow (this Monday, ed.). Will he start or not? In any case, it will be his first match of the Africa Cup of Nations, but what we want and what we had planned is to have an Achraf who progresses with the team and whom we keep for the entire competition. Today, the plan is being successfully executed. We are very happy."

At the end of the press conference, Regragui also wanted to thank PSG for its cooperation during Hakimi's convalescence: "I also want to thank PSG, the club and its president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is a very classy person, because they made Achraf available to us. They let him come practically 15 days early. There isn't a club in the world that would have said, 'we leave him at your disposal, and we trust you.' This is also where you see the relationship with our medical staff, our doctor Baudot (formerly of PSG, ed.), who is one of the best sports doctors in the world. Thank you to them, in any case. If today Achraf is back, it is also thanks to the PSG club, which played along for us."

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