Achraf Hakimi became the seventh player in nearly two decades of recorded football to register five goal contributions in a single Ligue 1 match, and the first defender to do so, as Paris Saint-Germain recovered from a goal down to beat Le Havre 5-1, according to the match report. The Morocco captain scored a hat-trick and provided two assists in the victory.
Le Havre took the lead in the 18th minute through Josh Maja, but Hakimi began to alter the game eight minutes later when he released Mike Godts after an improvised forward touch from immaculate control to level the scores. Two minutes after that he ran onto Senny Mayulu’s pass to put PSG ahead. Soon after the break Hakimi curled a right-footed free kick past Arnaud Bodard for his second, then fed Mayulu in the 62nd minute on a counterattack. A deflected attempt in the 69th minute completed his hat-trick, and he was withdrawn two minutes later to a standing ovation.
PSG coach Luis Enrique, 56, questioned whether Hakimi should still be considered a defender after the display, saying, “He’s clearly a striker when we have the ball, and when we don’t have it, everyone’s a defender. He’s the best right back in the world.” Enrique added: “I’m not particularly excited to see him score three goals. What I like is seeing him constantly at the highest level, always ready. It means a lot for our team.”
Before Hakimi’s performance, only Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kylian Mbappé, Memphis Depay, Carlos Eduardo and Edinson Cavani had recorded five goal contributions in a single Ligue 1 match. Almost a year ago Hakimi became the first defender since Tshimen Bwanga in 1973 to be named CAF’s African Footballer of the Year, and the report said the Le Havre showing bolsters his case ahead of the next CAF awards in Lagos on December 7.
According to the report, Hakimi had never registered more than two goal involvements in a single Ligue 1 game across his previous 135 appearances since arriving from Internazionale in 2021. The Le Havre masterclass moved him to the top of PSG’s direct goal involvements in the league this term, tied with Ferran Torres, as the club looks to recover form after a sluggish start to the season.
