Despite a busy schedule, punctuated by PSG matches, the African Cup of Nations (CAN), the Olympic Games, qualifications for the World Cup and friendly meetings with Morocco, Hakimi is preparing to surpass, this week, the sixty mark with the upcoming matches against Monaco and Lens.
This prolific season could be crowned by winning the African Golden Ball, which will be awarded on Monday in Marrakech. Such a distinction would place him alongside Mustapha Hadji, the only Moroccan to have won this title in 1998. It would highlight his remarkable performances in the national team, despite the memory of the missed penalty in the round of 16 of the last CAN against Africa of the South, as well as his evolution at PSG since the arrival of Luis Enrique, recalls Le Parisien.
Hakimi, who describes himself with a mixture of irony and seriousness as a striker, has found in Luis Enrique a coach who understands his qualities, his ambitions and his past frustrations. Previously, the player had sometimes shown some annoyance, feeling limited in his climbs and not always being considered an option by his teammates, notably Messi and Di Maria. He also expressed reservations about the team’s lack of balance.
Read: A former coach violently charges Achraf Hakimi
Christophe Jallet, former PSG right-back who became a consultant for Canal +, observed a transformation in the player: “He had a period where I found him restricted, we felt he was in more difficulty defensively because he only focused on that aspect of the game and did not use his qualities. From now on, we see him in complete confidence with the coach, with the role assigned to him. We will judge him on the offensive aspect and mentally, there is a form of release which means that with his power and his speed, he recovers a lot of shots. Even in a one-on-one situation, I feel strong, confident in fact. He gained confidence.”
Luis Enrique was able to take advantage of Hakimi’s potential by allowing him to fully express his offensive qualities. The Spanish coach, with a touch of humor, even declared after the draw against Nantes, again according to Le Parisien: “He only plays fullback when Donnarumma has the ball. He plays like a striker, like a winger and can’t play higher up, otherwise he would be with the Ultras.
With three goals and six assists to his name, Hakimi is on track to surpass his statistics from previous seasons, finding a dynamic comparable to that he experienced in Milan, where he was more decisive than in Paris. “When we see his performances since the start of the season, there is no debate. This year, he gives the full measure of his talent and we found the Inter Hakimi,” says Christophe Jallet, quoted by Le Parisien.
However, Luis Enrique tempers this enthusiasm, believing that Hakimi still has room for improvement: “Hakimi is good but he can do better. Even more,” he declared before the match against Lyon. He also recalled the importance of the player within the squad. With 1,569 minutes played since the start of the season, twelve more than Pacho, Hakimi is the player most used by the Parisian coach.
