Walid Regragui Laments Damaged Image of African Football and a “Missed Chance of a Lifetime”
A shattered but defiant Morocco coach Walid Regragui did not mince words in the wake of his team’s devastating 1-0 extra-time loss to Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations final, condemning the “shameful” scenes that halted the match for nearly 20 minutes at a crucial moment.
“The image we gave of African football was rather shameful,” Regragui said in a tense post-match press conference. “Having to stop the game for more than 10 minutes with the world watching is not very classy.”
The chaos erupted deep in injury time of a goalless match, when a VAR review led to a penalty for Morocco after a challenge on Brahim Díaz. The decision triggered fury from the Senegalese camp, with players walking off the pitch in protest and clashes breaking out in the stands. The delay stretched close to 20 minutes before a clearly unsettled Díaz could take—and miss—his chipped ‘Panenka’ penalty.
“He had a lot of time before taking the penalty, which must have disturbed him,” Regragui acknowledged, shielding his young star. “That is how he chose to take it. We can’t change what happened.”
The emotional and tactical disruption proved decisive. In extra time, Pape Gueye’s stunning strike won the title for Senegal, leaving the host nation and a packed stadium in despair. For Regragui, a former player who was part of Morocco’s last finalist squad in 2004, the pain was profound.
“Football is sometimes cruel,” he said, his voice heavy with disappointment. “We had the chance of a lifetime in the last seconds… and we missed it. We hadn’t reached a final for 22 years. This was our moment.”
The defeat, Morocco’s first since the 2023 AFCON, casts a shadow over what had been a magical run for the 2022 World Cup semifinalists. To compound the misery, Regragui revealed fears that striker Hamza Igamane may have suffered a serious knee ligament injury late in the match.
Despite the heartbreak, the coach pointed his team toward the future, including this summer’s World Cup. He confirmed the squad had already received a consoling call from King Mohammed VI.
“We must look forward now,” Regragui stated. “I hope this squad comes back stronger. We know what it takes to get here. We have to make sure we’re ready when our next chance comes.”
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