{"id":914629,"date":"2026-06-22T13:13:27","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:13:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/2026-world-cup-ex-super-eagles-star-identifies-one-fault-in-moroccos-campaign-can-derail-them\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T13:13:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T18:13:27","slug":"2026-world-cup-ex-super-eagles-star-identifies-one-fault-in-moroccos-campaign-can-derail-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/22\/2026-world-cup-ex-super-eagles-star-identifies-one-fault-in-moroccos-campaign-can-derail-them\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 World Cup: Ex-Super Eagles star identifies one fault in Morocco\u2019s campaign \u2013 \u2018Can derail them\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soccer <\/p>\n

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\"Soccer<\/p>\n

Achraf Hakimi Morocco looks on . Photo by DeFodi ImagesxImago<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Former Super Eagles and Santa Clara midfielder Garba Lawal has identified an ordeal that could derail Morocco’s performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a>, Soccernet.ng<\/a> reports.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Atlas Lions became the first African team to reach the semi-final of the Copa Mundial, achieving the feat at the previous edition in Qatar, before eventually losing to France.<\/p>\n

They kicked off their 2026 campaign with a brilliant performance against Brazil, impressing and showing they can replicate the same run they embarked on four years ago.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Vinicius Junior looks on during Brazil’s match against Morocco. Copyright: ImagoxThor Wegner\/DeFodi Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Get Our Sports News First \u2013\u00a0Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Soccer Hakimi’s case can derail Morocco \u2013 Garba Lawal<\/h2>\n

Morocco’s captain, Achraf Hakimi, is set to stand trial for rape after a woman accused the Paris St-Germain star of raping her in his Paris apartment three years ago.<\/p>\n

The former Borussia Dortmund defender has maintained his innocence, claiming he’s glad justice will soon prevail.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe justice system looked me in the eye and said, \u2018If you weren’t famous, there would never have been a case,’\u201d Hakimi wrote on his X<\/a><\/strong> page on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Achraf Hakimi. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cI chose to remain silent for years. I believed that maintaining my dignity, being patient, and trusting in the justice system would allow the right decisions to be made.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, a story that isn’t mine is being told at the expense of my family, my life, and above all, the truth. I sometimes feel like I’ve become an easy target.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’ve been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I’m eagerly awaiting it. Finally, I’ll be able to speak,\u201d the three-time UEFA Champions League winner concluded.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Garba Lawal. Copyright: Imago<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Hakimi is keen on clearing his name, Garba Lawal, who represented Nigeria at two World Cup tournaments, believes the off-pitch noise surrounding the case could upset the African Champions mentally.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI just can\u2019t understand why it is coming up at this stage and it could be a distraction to him,\u201d the former Roda JC midfielder said in an interview with Footy Africa<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone is playing in the World Cup, leave him alone until after the tournament, you can bring it up. <\/p>\n

\u201cNobody knows the full truth of the story, but he has a chance to clear his name, so let\u2019s wait and see what really happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Soccer
Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes with PSG. Copyright: xSpada\/LaPressexImago<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\u201cThe player should be focused on representing his country. Let him play the tournament and see how it pans out. But I just can\u2019t understand the timing,\u201d Lawal continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, it\u2019s a distraction to any team, but the team [Ghana] should cope without Partey. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey once had players like Abedi Pele and Michael Essien, and they coped without them after retirement.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, this situation is different because this player is currently part of the squad. I<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he wasn\u2019t involved, it would be another matter. Right now, it\u2019s World Cup time. Looking at the whole situation, the allegations are very troubling,\u201d the 1996 Olympic Gold medallist concluded.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Soccer
Garba Lawal in action for the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Copyright: imago\/Oliver Behrendt
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Morocco will play against Haiti in their final Group C game after defeating Scotland on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"<!--Adefolahan Guerreiro” src=”https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0f64d35abfd960f4a5a400c4bb517f7f0be6c48b655560fbdd37e59d9fc9ca58?s=80&d=mm&r=g” height=”80″ width=”80″ loading=”lazy” decoding=”async”>\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tAdefolahan Guerreiro\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t<\/h3>\n

\n\t\t\t\tAdefolahan is a multilingual CAF-Accredited sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz. <\/p>\n

With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.<\/p>\n

Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
\nHis portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.<\/p>\n

A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he\u2019s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>Adefolahan Guerreiro<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soccer Achraf Hakimi Morocco looks on . Photo by DeFodi ImagesxImago Former Super Eagles and Santa Clara midfielder Garba Lawal has identified an ordeal that could derail Morocco’s performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports. The Atlas Lions became the first African team to reach the semi-final of the Copa Mundial, achieving the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":914630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[129287,2005,644],"tags":[129286,5489],"class_list":["post-914629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ex-super","category-soccer","category-world","tag-ex-super","tag-world"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=914629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/914629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/914630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=914629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=914629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=914629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}