Morocco stand behind Achraf Hakimi as captain faces trial in France

Speaking after Morocco's 1-0 victory over Scotland on Friday, Ouahbi said the 27-year-old handled the situation calmly and continued to lead the squad as usual.

"He is fine. He woke up this morning, ate like everyone else, got ready for the game and motivated everyone," Ouahbi told the media.

"He was there in the dressing room, focused and determined to put in a big performance. He did that, and so there is nothing to say. We are behind him, and he is very calm, totally unfazed."

Hakimi, who denies the allegations relating to an alleged incident involving a 24-year-old woman in the Paris region in 2023, remained one of the main talking points during the match and was repeatedly booed by sections of the crowd at Gillette Stadium.

Despite the atmosphere, Morocco secured an important victory to strengthen their position in Group C. The Atlas Lions now have four points from two matches after opening their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Brazil.

Ouahbi also praised his captain's influence on the squad and backed him to continue producing top performances.

"He will play more great games. He is the best right-back in the world and he is going to show that at this World Cup.

"He is a very important person for me, for the staff, for the players, for the Moroccan team."

Morocco's winning goal came from Ismael Saibari, who struck after just 71 seconds - the fastest goal recorded at this year's tournament. The midfielder has now scored twice in the competition after also finding the net against Brazil.

Morocco will next face Haiti in Atlanta on Wednesday as they look to seal qualification for the knockout rounds. 

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