Hakimi, undeterred by the prospect of facing Vinicius, says Morocco is ready to take on Brazil.

On the eve of the opening match of Group C in the World Cup, Morocco's key right-back Achraf Hakimi said at a press conference on Friday that he was ready to do everything he could to stop Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior in Saturday's game.

In this highly anticipated clash at the Metropolitan Life Stadium, the duel on the flanks between Hakimi and Vinicius was widely considered a pivotal battle that would determine the outcome of the match. The two had previously faced off multiple times in the Champions League and Club World Cup, representing Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid respectively.

Hakimi spoke highly of his old rival and expressed his confidence in victory: "We know Vinicius's strength; he is a great player. But I feel ready, and I believe the whole team will deliver an outstanding performance."

Despite their historic fourth-place finish at the Qatar World Cup four years ago, Morocco is still widely considered the underdog when facing five-time World Cup champions Brazil. However, a 1-1 draw against Norway in a friendly has convinced Hakimi that the two teams are fully capable of putting up a fight.

The star player, who once lifted the Champions League trophy with Paris Saint-Germain, emphasized that there are no absolute favorites in the World Cup. Hakimi said, "We know the strength of both teams well, and this is a very evenly matched game."

"I don't think anyone has a better chance of winning. We just hope that luck is on our side and that we can seize this opportunity. I don't think there's any favorite."

Image source: Internet