Hakimi equals Eto'o and secures third place on African Champions League podium

Captain in the absence of Marquinhos, Achraf Hakimi reached a historic milestone on Tuesday evening at Parc des Princes: by playing his 58th Champions League match in PSG colours during the 6-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava, the Moroccan full-back brought his total to 78 appearances in the competition, equalling Samuel Eto’o in third place among African players with the most caps in the history of the competition.

Ahead of him stand two monuments: Mohamed Salah holds the record with 98 matches, followed by Didier Drogba with 92 encounters. At 27 years old, Hakimi is just 20 European nights away from the Egyptian Pharaoh, which suggests a rapid climb towards the summit. The Moroccan built this record by passing through Real Madrid — his academy club, with which he played two Champions League matches in 2017-2018 — Borussia Dortmund (13 matches, 4 goals), Inter Milan (5 matches), before arriving at PSG in 2021 where he has played 58 European matches.

On the international stage, the picture is equally eloquent. Hakimi already has 102 caps with Morocco and is approaching the national record held by Noureddine Naybet, set at 115 matches. His triumph at the last Africa Cup of Nations remains, however, subject to the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport expected next month.

As for the result, PSG dominated Slovan Bratislava thanks to a brace from Ousmane Dembélé and a hat-trick from Ferran Torres. Luis Enrique continues to exploit Hakimi’s versatility, capable of playing in several positions simultaneously, which makes the defender one of the most valuable elements of the Parisian system. Hakimi had to wait until his third season at PSG to score his first Champions League goal with the club, against his former club Dortmund in September 2023.