Morocco national team players continued to raise the flag for Africa at the highest level of club football, the UEFA Champions League, with Ismael Saibari and Achraf Hakim each playing roles as their clubs advanced to the Round of 16 on Wednesday.
Dutch-Moroccan midfielder Saibari scored his 9th goal of the season in all competitions as Dutch giants PSV came back from a 1-2 first leg defeat to win 3-1 in Eindhoven after extra time. Ivan Perišić opened the scoring for the hosts before Juventus leveled through USA national team star Timothy Weah ten minutes later.
Needing a goal to equalize the aggregate score, Saibari emerged as the hero in the 74th minute. A cross from the right wing led to a scramble in front of the goal and the 24-year-old arrived to fire in his 9th goal in all competitions this season and bring PSV back level. Defender Ryan Flamingo provided the winning goal in extra time to send PSV through to the next round.
Compared to the match Saibari was involved in, it was a routine walk in the park for Atlas Lions superstar Achraf Hakimi as Paris Saint-Germain had nothing to worry about in a 7-0 thrashing of fellow French Ligue 1 club Brest.
Already up 3-0 from the first leg away from home, PSG completed a lopsided 10-0 aggregate victory with Hakimi setting up Nuno Mendes for the fifth goal close to the 70th minute. It was a classic right back to left back combination with Hakimi crossing low for Mendes to apply a simple finish.
Hakimi now has 10 assists in all competitions this season to go along with 3 goals, including 5 assists in 10 UEFA Champions League matches. PSG will travel to face Lyon on Sunday in Ligue 1 play while Saibari and PSV's next match is in a week against Go Ahead Eagles in the Netherlands' KNVB Cup.
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