Morocco boss stands with Hakimi amidst trial for alleged rape

Morocco's national team manager, Mohamed Ouahbi, has spoken out to strongly support his captain Achraf Hakimi, following a hard-fought World Cup victory over Scotland.

The high-profile match was played under immense pressure after major legal news broke regarding the star defender.

The highly anticipated Group C clash against Scotland was played against a hostile backdrop of loud jeers from the crowd aimed directly at Achraf Hakimi.

The 27-year-old Paris Saint-Germain right-back faces intense public scrutiny after a French appeals court confirmed he will stand trial over rape allegations, charges he has firmly denied since they first appeared.

Instead of letting the off-field drama distract the team, coach Ouahbi quickly shut down negative questions from the media, stating: “Hakimi was extraordinary. He had a very strong game, so we’re very relaxed, and he’s especially relaxed.”

On the field, Morocco put on a brilliant performance to secure a deserved 1-0 victory over Scotland, moving them up to four points in the group standings.

Midfielder Ismael Saibari gave the Atlas Lions a perfect start by scoring after just seventy-one seconds, making it the quickest goal of the tournament so far.

The African giants controlled the rhythm of the game beautifully before bravely holding off a late, intense wave of long balls from the Scottish attackers.

With a spot in the next round nearly safe, Ouahbi promised he would still field his absolute best lineup against Haiti on Wednesday to lock down first place in the group.