Morocco’s African Footballer of the Year, Achraf Hakimi, has recovered from an ankle injury and is ready to play in the Africa Cup of Nations, the defender confirmed at a press conference on Saturday.

Hakimi’s participation in the home tournament had been uncertain after he suffered ankle ligament damage while playing for Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich in last month’s Champions League.

Despite speculation over his fitness, the 27-year-old appeared confident on the eve of Morocco’s opening match. The host nation faces Comoros in Rabat on Sunday, although it remains unclear whether Hakimi will play immediately or be given additional time to recover.

“I feel good. I’m following the programme with the doctors and the coach, and after that, we’ll see what the coach decides,” Hakimi told reporters.
“I was scared after my injury. I didn’t want to miss this Cup of Nations that we are hosting. I wanted to be there with the team. I don’t know when I’ll play, but I feel ready.”

Coach Walid Regragui praised Hakimi’s commitment during rehabilitation.

“He went above and beyond,” Regragui said. “His injury wasn’t straightforward. He made some tough decisions for his country. As a coach and a Moroccan, I want to thank him in front of everyone. He’s a true role model.”

However, Regragui did not confirm whether Hakimi would feature in Sunday’s Group A opener.
“Does he start, or do we rest him? We’ll see, that will be my decision. He could start tomorrow… or not,” he added.

Hakimi was named Africa’s best player at the Confederation of African Football awards last month, but he attended the ceremony on crutches, raising doubts about his readiness for the tournament. Despite that, he was included in Morocco’s squad earlier this month and has been pictured training with the team this week.