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PSG's Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi has had a stadium named after him in the same week that he was nominated for a FIFA The Best award
Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi has had a week of celebrations and honours as he has been nominated for the prestigious FIFA The Best award in the Player of the Year category alongside some of the best players in the world.
Most players would be content with this for a week or even a lifetime, but Hakimi has also been honoured by having a stadium in his hometown of Kasr El-Kebir renamed after him.
The Achraf Hakimi Stadium
The PSG star was in Morocco to open the stadium, which will now be known as the "Achraf Hakimi Stadium," and was received by thousands of teeming fans at the opening, which he captured on his Instagram page.
He wrote on Instagram, "I had the privilege of opening a football stadium bearing my name in Kasr El-Kebir yesterday.
"I thank the authorities and residents of the city for their support and love to me. It is a great honour to return to this city that has a special place in my heart."
The stadium was renamed after the PSG star following his heroics for the Moroccan national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
These performances have continued to draw praise and accolades for the right-back. There are few more significant accomplishments in football today than being nominated for a FIFA The Best award, which Hakimi has now also accomplished.
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He was named alongside greats like Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, Kylian Mbappe, and Karim Benzema as nominees for the prestigious Men’s Player of the Year category.
He was named along with Liverpool and Egypt legend Mohamed Salah, as well as Bayern Munich and Senegal winger Sadio Mane as the only Africans on the 14 man shortlist, and although his chances of winning the award are slim, he will be thrilled to be mentioned in the same breath as these legends.
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