France's forward Kylian Mbappe gestures during a training session at the Al Sadd SC in Doha on December 13, 2022, on the eve of the Qatar 2022 World Cup football semi-final match between France and Morocco. Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP (left), and November 22, 2022 Morocco's Achraf Hakimi during training REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli (right)
“After we play against Morocco, I have to destroy my friend,” Kylian Mbappe said in a short video during a trip to Doha in January.
“I’m going to kick him,” a smiling Achraf Hakimi responded.
Banter apart, Paris Saint-Germain teammates and good friends Mbappe and Hakimi being pitted against each other will become a realty today as France meet Morocco in their World Cup semi-final at Al Bayt Stadium.
The friends are on a collision course as forward Mbappe plays on the left flank for France while Hakimi is Morocco’s right-back.
The pair met when the Moroccan joined the Paris club from Inter Milan in 2021 and it’s reported that Mbappe took him under his wings. But their bond is not purely on the football field. The pair sits next to each other on plane trips; they play video games and holiday together. And their bromance is well known.
“Achraf Hakimi. Best RB [right-back] in the world,” Mbappe wrote on twitter praising Hakimi’s spectacular performance with Morocco’s national team in the Africa Cup of Nations.
After Morocco’s win against Portugal to qualify for the semi-finals at Qatar 2022, Hakimi tagged his friend Mbappe on Twitter, saying: “See you soon my friend.”
Born just a month and 16 days apart in 1998, Mbappe and Hakimi are known for their speed on the pitch and the pair even shares their goal-celebration routine.
For Mbappe the cross-armed slide was his trademark celebration previously after scoring. He now goes down on one knee, places the thumb of his left hand on his nose with the little finger stretched out and his right hand behind his back. The first time Mbappe showcased this routine was in unison with Hakimi back in April, in a Ligue 1 game against Lorient.
Hakimi celebrated his winning penalty against Spain in the last 16 in Qatar by imitating a penguin (penguin dance)- something he does with Mbappe and Sergio Ramos at PSG.
Mbappe with five goals in Qatar is expected to carry his country’s hopes against Morocco – a team which has conceded just a single goal (an own-goal) in the entire tournament. However, Mbappe will have to breach the defence posed by Hakimi first if he is to beat Morocco’s star goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
Morocco’s coach Walid Regragui yesterday said that he expects Hakimi’s friendship with the French star to take a backseat during today’s crucial match.
“I have no doubt that Hakimi will be on top form to get the better of his friend,” Regragui told a news conference.
Hakimi has been key in helping Morocco concede only 10 shots on target in their five matches.
Regragui said his team will not have any special plan to stop Mbappe alone (a ploy used by England with Kyle Walker marking Mbappe in their 2-1 quarter-final loss).
Reportedly, Mbappe visited Hakimi at his hotel in Doha, and was among the first to congratulate him when Morocco qualified for the quarter-finals.
France captain Hugo Lloris said he was confident that the friendship will be put on hold at the Al Bayt Stadium.
“The event will take over. Even if you’re friends off the pitch, it’s the World Cup so you separate the two,” he told a news conference.
Tonight at the end of the match either France or Morocco will advance to the World Cup final. But both Mbappe and Hakimi will have a good reason to celebrate.
