Morocco coach Walid Regragui said his side’s Africa Cup of Nations semifinal against Nigeria was among the toughest matches of the tournament, describing it as a contest “worthy of a final” after Morocco advanced on penalties.
Speaking after Morocco’s 4–2 shootout win following a 0–0 draw after extra time, Regragui said the intensity and quality of the opposition explained the difficulty of the encounter.
“It was a very strong match because Nigeria are a strong team,” Regragui said. “They caused us problems today. It was a game with the value of a final, not a semifinal.”
Morocco dominated long stretches of play but were unable to find a breakthrough, forcing the match into extra time and then penalties.
“These kinds of matches are decided by details,” Regragui said. “We did everything to score and to win during normal time, but in the end the draw was deserved. Thankfully, we delivered in the penalty shootout.”
The Morocco coach singled out Nigeria’s performance, calling them the toughest opponent his team had faced in the competition.
“I thank the Nigerian team,” he said. “They are the best team we have played against in this edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.”
Morocco will face Senegal national football team in the final after Senegal defeated Egypt 1–0 in the other semifinal.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s final at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Regragui stressed the importance of managing player fatigue after a demanding semifinal.
“There will be clear physical fatigue that we must manage well,” he said. “We want to make our people happy. They deserve to win this Africa Cup.”
Morocco are bidding for a second continental title, having last won the tournament in 1976.
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