The match between Morocco and France in the semi-finals of the World Cup Qatar 2022, Wednesday, will witness a heated confrontation between two players who have close friendship, namely Moroccan defender Ashraf Hakimi and French striker Kylian Mbappe.
Since Hakimi joined the ranks of Paris Saint-Germain last season, the two players have become friends, but that will stop for at least 90 minutes, on Wednesday, when they face off on the home field.
Coincidentally, Hakimi’s task will be to supervise Mbappe, because he plays in the position of right defender, while Mbappe occupies the center of the left wing, and therefore the competition will be fierce between them for one goal, which is to reach the final match of the first world wedding in the Middle East.
Hakimi’s task will be to stop the rapid runs and brilliant dribbles of his friend Killian, while the Frenchman will have to stop the latter’s offensive support for his teammates and find the gap in the Lions’ defense, which none of the five teams (Croatia, Belgium, Canada, Spain and Portugal) managed to find.
Hakimi sent a special message to Mbappe following their two countries qualified for the round of four, by posting a tweet through his Twitter account, in which he said, “See you soon, my friend,” to which the latter replied with three hearts.
Hakimi was not comfortable in Saint-Germain when he landed from Inter Milan, Italy, but he found what he needed in Mbappe, one of his generation, born in 1998.
Since his first steps in the capital, Mbappe has made things easier for Hakimi thanks to his fluency in Spanish and sharing the same interests, Le Parisien reports.
Things developed very quickly between the players, as the defender said, “We are very good friends. The friendship developed between us naturally. What I like, he likes, too. We have the same feelings.”
Algeria and Morocco
Hakimi, who belongs to a Moroccan immigrant family in Spain, like his French-born colleague from a Cameroonian father and an Algerian mother, found in Mbappe the loyal friend who helped him adapt in the Parisian capital, and learned a language he did not understand.
And he said at the beginning of this year, “My close friendship with Mbappe has several reasons, as we are two young men at the age of 23, we share the same tastes, we talk regarding music and video games, we go to restaurants or spend time together, we love each other, and this matter is noticed inside and outside the stadium.” “.
He added, “I don’t speak much French with Mbappe, but in general I try to improve this language with his help. I enjoy learning this language, and my relationship with Mbappe is one of the things that helps me learn it the most, even if it is a bit difficult.”
Even at the height of concentration and isolation from the outside world in the camp of the two teams, communication between the players continued, whether on the field through their goal celebrations in the Penguin way, or outside it through the French star’s visit to his colleague in the hotel of residence before facing Spain in the final price, or Mbappe’s interaction With that decisive penalty shootout, Hakimi scored once morest Spaniard Unai Simon in the round of 16.
heart and crown
Mbappe posted a tweet in which he wrote: “Ashraf Hakimi,” along with some emojis, including a picture of a penguin, a heart, and a crown.
Hakimi caught the eye with the penguin dance, following he scored the decisive kick, which is the same dance that he performed with his Spanish colleague Sergio Ramos in one of the Paris Saint-Germain matches this season.
The two share another identical celebration: squatting, thumb on the nose, hand on the back, in a teapot position, which Kiki celebrated when he scored Poland (3-1) in the final price.
Hakimi gathered with his colleague Mbappe, a close friendship for years, as they always used to share their pictures together outside the stadium, and they also travel together a lot, as they were in the capital, Madrid, late last season, when the French star was a candidate to move to Real Madrid, Spain, before he decided. stay in Paris.
At that time, Hakimi found himself facing the fire of criticism, between those who considered him inciting Mbappe to leave, and those who saw him as dissatisfied with the royal club, which refused to return him to its ranks following the end of his loan with Borussia Dortmund and then Inter.
Hakimi, who was monitored by cameras and media microphones, came out to talk regarding the future of his French friend, saying: “Mbappe is happy in Paris Saint-Germain, and everyone sees his complete focus on the team and the club’s goals. its context.”
But Hakimi returned and revealed, following Mbappe extended the contract with the French capital club, that he was aware that he was staying, and he said in an interview with the Spanish “Movistar” channel: “My colleagues learned regarding the news of his extension of the contract on the day he was announced at the stadium, but since he is my friend with Killian, I knew.” That was a few days ago.”
At the time, Hakimi mocked Spain’s Gerard Pique regarding the famous photo with the comment “remaining”, which he posted on social media to announce the continuation of Brazilian Neymar with Barcelona, while the latter signed with Paris Saint-Germain a few days later.
“I should have taken a selfie like Pique: Kylian is staying,” said Hakimi, laughing.
Expect confrontation
And Mbappe’s intuition was confirmed, when he announced in the preparatory camp for Paris Saint-Germain in Doha, before the start of the season, that Morocco and France would meet in the World Cup.
“I will have to destroy my friend,” he said, with a wide smile, in English, in a video posted by the Capital Club on its official channel. Hakimi replied, “I will beat him.”
Mbappe laughed and responded: “It breaks my heart a bit, but you know, football is football. I have to ‘kill him’.”
Wednesday’s match will be decisive between this very understanding duo, because the winner will take a step at the expense of the other to achieve a dream that Mbappe touched and contributed to in the last edition in Russia in 2018, and Hakimi aspires to embrace him for the first time in his country’s history to confirm his wonderful career in the current tournament.
Mbappe and Hakimi will put their friendship aside during the match, but following that there will be more talk!
