Atlas Lions captain Achraf Hakimi scored the first hat-trick of his career and was involved in all five PSG goals at Le Havre (5-1), just days before Mohamed Ouahbi names his squad for Niger.
Achraf Hakimi, the recent African Footballer of the Year, found the net three times in Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-1 win at Le Havre in Ligue 1, according to AFP. The Moroccan right-back was involved in all five Parisian goals: he set up two for Mika Godts and Senny Mayulu on top of his three strikes.
The capital club, Ligue 1 leaders and reigning Champions League holders, handed Le Havre a seventh defeat in nine matches, the French agency reports.
Three goals and two assists
The news was reported by AFP and then by SuperSport: it is the first hat-trick of Achraf Hakimi’s career. The match was played on 30 October at the Stade Océane in Le Havre, according to the AFP photo caption.
His two assists completed a performance in which the full-back was involved in every Parisian goal.
The staff’s trust
Speaking after the match to Madar21, Hakimi explained that his forward runs and the space he finds give him a greater opportunity to contribute to attacks. He also stressed the importance of his teammates’ support, both in attacking roles and in defensive cover.
The Atlas Lions captain said he was very happy with the trust of the coaching staff, which gives him more room to show his qualities.
Niger in sight
The hat-trick comes just days before Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi announces his squad for the two matches against Niger. Both games count towards matchdays 3 and 4 of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
The weekend also smiled on other Moroccans. Yassine Zbirini, of Real Santander, scored against Espanyol and now has 8 goals in La Liga; according to Fichajes, relayed by Madar21, Barcelona are interested in him. Bilal El Khannouss also found the net again against Bayer Leverkusen.
The Atlas Lions squad for Niger is expected in the coming days.