Achraf Hakimi was the star of Friday night, 13 November 2026, at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca. The Paris Saint-Germain defender scored twice from distance and set up another as Morocco beat Niger 5-1 in the third round of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
His first goal was a powerful strike from outside the box. The second was even better: a direct free kick from around 35 metres, as reported by Hespress, which bounced in front of the goalkeeper and beat him in first-half stoppage time.
How the match unfolded:
- Yassir Zabiri opened the scoring in the 4th minute from a Brahim Diaz pass.
- Hakimi made it 2-0 in the 27th minute.
- Mohamed Abdourahmane pulled one back for Niger in the 41st minute.
- Yassine Bounou saved a Niger penalty shortly before half-time.
- Hakimi restored the two-goal lead three minutes into first-half stoppage time, then crossed for Youssef En-Nesyri to score in the 77th.
- Ayoub Oufkir completed the 5-1 win in the 90th minute.
The result keeps Morocco top of Group A with a perfect nine points from three games, three ahead of Gabon, while Niger stay on three. The two sides meet again on Tuesday, 17 November, at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat.
Source: Hespress, Sport News Africa, Kora Plus, Goal, 20 Minutes
