Analysis— 5 min read
Hours before Morocco's Group C match against Scotland in Boston, a French appeals court delivered news that would hang over the rest of the World Cup for Achraf Hakimi. The Versailles appeals court confirmed that the Morocco captain and Paris Saint-Germain defender will stand trial on a rape charge, rejecting his appeal against a February ruling that ordered him to face criminal proceedings.
The case stems from an alleged incident at Hakimi's home in a Paris suburb in February 2023, when a then-24-year-old woman accused him of rape. Hakimi has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The court said its investigation found sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to trial, though no date has yet been set.
Hakimi played the full 90 minutes as Morocco beat Scotland 1-0, courtesy of an Ismael Saibari goal, to sit top of Group C after two matches. He was jeered by sections of the Tartan Army every time he touched the ball. He did not speak to media in the mixed zone afterwards, despite players being required to do so.
Before kick-off, Hakimi had posted a statement on social media defending himself. "Justice looked me in the eye and told me: 'If you were not famous, there would never have been a case,'" he wrote, suggesting he felt unfairly targeted because of his profile.
The lawyer representing the woman, Rachel-Flore Pardo, responded that the court's decision "brings my client a sense of relief and hope" after more than three years of legal proceedings, adding that she hoped the trial would "help other women and further weaken the fortress of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence."
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi addressed the situation after full time, choosing to focus on the performance rather than the case itself. "We don't have to say anything — we're behind him, he's very relaxed and hopefully he's going to show he's the best wingback in the world," Ouahbi said. "I believe this is important for me, the players and the 44 million Moroccans who are following us."
Morocco next face Haiti on June 24 in their final group game, knowing a point would likely be enough to secure top spot in Group C.