Former Morocco technical director Nasser Larguet has revealed the behind-the-scenes story of how Achraf Hakimi opted to represent Morocco over Spain.
Speaking to French newspaper L’Équipe, Larguet explained how he travelled to Madrid to meet the then-teenage Hakimi, his father and his Spanish agents in a hotel.
“I told him: ‘If you choose Spain, you’ll still be Moroccan. We’ll always support you. But if you choose Morocco, we’ll be proud to have you,’” said Larguet.
He gave Hakimi half an hour to decide. “I said I needed to speak with another player. When I came back, he said: ‘It’s Morocco.’”
Larguet added: “I told him: ‘if you shake my hand, it means more than any contract’. He said: ‘You have my word, I’ll give everything.’ I warned him there were no guarantees, but if he worked hard, he’d play for the senior team. And the rest is history.”
Hakimi, now 26, has gone on to become one of Morocco’s most influential players. Since making his senior debut in 2016 at the age of 17, the Paris Saint-Germain full-back has earned 83 caps and scored 10 goals for his country.
He featured in two World Cups – starting every match in Morocco’s historic run to the semi-finals at Qatar 2022 – and has appeared at three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, scoring from two direct free-kicks in the 2021 edition.
Hakimi also netted a memorable Panenka penalty in the shootout win over Spain at the 2022 World Cup, knocking out his country of birth.
