Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco full-back Achraf Hakimi admitted that the memory of a painful setback stayed with him when he faced Nigeria, saying the “ghost” of that failure followed him into the match.
Hakimi explained that the previous disappointment remained on his mind and affected how he approached the game, as he was determined not to relive the same feeling again in front of a strong opponent like Nigeria.
He stressed that such moments can leave a mark on any player, but said he tried to turn that experience into motivation, focusing on reacting in the right way when it mattered.
Hakimi’s comments revealed how strongly that earlier failure continued to influence him, even as he prepared for another major test against Nigeria.
