Coach Regragui reflects on loss of national team in qualifiers of African cup of nations

National coach Walid Regragui expressed his deep disappointment following the Moroccan national team’s defeat against their South African counterpart with a score of 1-2 in the penultimate round of the African Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Despite the loss, Regragui acknowledged that the setback at this stage could have a positive impact on the team’s future performance as it allows them to reassess their strategies before the finals.

During the post-match press conference, Regragui extended his congratulations to the South African team, emphasizing their deserving victory on home turf.

He acknowledged their exceptional performance and high spirits throughout the match. Regragui admitted that his team did not perform at their best during the first half, allowing their opponents several opportunities—an unacceptable lapse at this critical stage of the competition.

However, he reiterated his indifference towards losing a few matches leading up to the African Nations Cup finals, indicating that his statement may have influenced the players’ mindset.

“In the second half, we played with renewed enthusiasm and created numerous scoring chances. However, in the end, our opponents proved more deserving of the win.”

“We made several changes in this match, aiming to observe and evaluate as many players as possible. Some players gained points to secure their return to the national team, while others failed to impress. This was the purpose of the meeting—to gain a clearer perspective.”

The coach emphasized, “I stand by my initial statement. Our priority now is to take a break and fully prepare ourselves for the African Cup of Nations finals in September. June is a challenging month for all teams, with many players having just concluded a grueling European season. It would be unfair to demand more than their capabilities at this stage, when fatigue is prevalent.”