Ashraf Hakimi, the right-back for Paris Saint-Germain and the Moroccan national team, has spoken out for the first time about the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and award it to Morocco.
The comments came during an appearance on the podcast “The Bridge” alongside his friend Kylian Mbappé, the Real Madrid star, where Hakimi made no secret of his delight at the decision, despite the significant controversy surrounding it.
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The former Real Madrid player said: “Even if we had to win the Africa Cup of Nations this way, we accept it… We are very happy… I have been waiting for this moment for a very long time.”
It is worth noting that Senegal recently lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision of the CAF Appeals Committee. The Senegalese national team also celebrated by presenting the trophy to their fans on the sidelines of the friendly match against Peru.
The “Lions of Teranga” had walked off the pitch for around 15 minutes during the final, before returning to the field and winning the match 1-0 in extra time, whilst Real Madrid star Ibrahim Diaz missed a penalty that would have handed the title to the “Lions of the Atlas” in the dying moments of the second half.