I used the latest version in the Google play store. To my surprise it started working OK on my P9 Lite. I removed and reinstalled play services couple of times and I never got the problem back. So probably the latest play services update screwed up something on Huawei Devices but reinstalling play services helps.
To counter these missing Google apps, Huawei has released a plethora of in-house apps that will ensure the user doesnβt feel left out. AppGallery will replace the Google Play Store and can be used in 170+ countires. Launched way back in 2011, it was initially released for users in China only. In 2018, it was shipped to non-Chinese users and 4SoN42.