Mbappe hails PSG teammate Hakimi’s impact at Africa Cup of Nations
Kylian Mbappe hailed his Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Achraf Hakimi, as the best right-back in the world after a wonder goal at the African Cup of Nations.
The delayed 2021 African Cup of Nations hasn’t been short of drama or controversy this month, with big shocks, very questionable refereeing and some incredible goals.
Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez apologised on Tuesday for Algeria’s winless exit at the first attempt in a group stage that also saw Ghana crash out and a referee who apparently thought a game of football only lasts for 85 minutes.
Into the knockout stages, and AFCON 2021 t has continued to entertain, with Tunisia knocking out Nigeria, Comoros running Cameroon mightily close on their competition debut despite having to play with an outfielder in goal, and City youngster Issa Kabore holding his nerve in a penalty shoot-out to put Burkina Faso through.
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On Tuesday, Senegal beat nine-man Cape Verde in a game marred by a sickening clash of heads between Liverpool’s Sadio Mane and Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, while Morocco edged past Malawi thanks to a brilliant free-kick from Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi, setting up a quarter-final with either Ivory Coast or Egypt.
With Mahrez on holiday for a week after the tournament, City are able to watch on as neutrals – barring Kabore’s involvement – but might have been inadvertently drawn into the discussion again from an unlikely source.
The Frenchman took to social media after Hakimi’s lovely strike to declare: “Achraf Hakimi. Best RB in the world. Good night guys.”
It’s a tweet that is clearly a public message of support for a friend who’s just scored one of the most high profile goals of his career. Mbappe won’t have been considering every other right-back in the world before naming Hakimi as the best, and at that moment, it was a fair reaction to a brilliant goal.
However, if he did weigh up who could rival Hakimi, he would refer back to his recent meetings with City, when he struggled to get past Kyle Walker on one side and Joao Cancelo on the other. Both are natural right-backs at the top of their game, and deserve to be in the discussion for the best in their position.
Unfortunately, the recent Fifpro World XI opted for a back three in an attacker-heavy 3-3-4 formation, omitting full-backs and rewarding forwards rather than defenders for their performances. That meant there is no recent worldwide or European poll to refer to when it comes to full-backs, simply opinions like Mbappe’s.
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If there was an award for the best right-back, which wouldn’t be a surprise if FIFA or UEFA decided to add another set of individual annual awards to the mix, Hakimi might be in the top five, but would struggle to top the list.
As well as the always-underrated Walker, and the eyecatching Cancelo, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold deserves consideration as a similar player to Hakimi in regards to his attacking output and set-piece delivery. The likes of Joshua Kimmich or Benjamin Pavard might also warrant consideration.
Focussing just on City, though, it’s a sign of their status in world football that they genuinely possess two of the world’s best right-backs, but it’s a reminder of how often they are overlooked that they know other players would be preferred if it came to a vote.
Just look at the strange obsession with giving Jorginho awards this season, despite not even being the best midfielder at Chelsea. Sometimes, the best players are snubbed for the trendy name. Maybe if Hakimi can lead Morocco to an AFCON title, and help PSG to a Champions League triumph, then he can get the recognition Mbappe craves for him.