Tonight’s Champions League semi-final against Bayern represents a significant milestone for Achraf Hakimi. The Moroccan defender is set to start for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), marking his 76th appearance in Europe’s premier club tournament.
Details: This achievement places Hakimi in a notable position, as he now shares this record with the renowned Michael Essien. According to Stats Foot, he is among the top five African footballers with the most Champions League matches in history.
Ahead of Hakimi on this illustrious list are football legends synonymous with African representation in European football. Mohamed Salah leads with 98 matches, followed by Didier Drogba with 92 and Samuel Eto’o with 78.
Given his age and ambition, Hakimi has a promising opportunity in the coming seasons not only to catch up with but also to potentially surpass many on this list, thereby solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest African footballers in European competition history.