During an interview with CNN, Walid Regragui, the coach of the Moroccan football national team, talked about his expectations for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), preparations, and recollections from the World Cup in Qatar.
When asked how he decided to support the national team, Regruagui stated that he did not make the decision; it just happened. He had just won the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champion’s League with Wydad AC, thus his ambition was to play in the Club World Cup and perhaps one day dream of coaching in Europe, so it was a natural progression in his career.
“Then came the decision at the federation to change coaches. I think today everyone thought it was an easy challenge, but it wasn’t. I think that only a crazy coach like me would accept this job three months before the World Cup. No European coach would’ve taken on the national team, and I don’t think there is a local coach who dared to take on the challenge,” explained the coach.
The Moroccan national team had a very successful run at the World Cup. It would be an exaggeration to suggest that we felt we could make it to the semi-finals, let alone win the World Cup, said Regruagui.
The coach, who has the heart of Moroccans for his relentless efforts to push the players to their limits, added “At the end of the first round, we dreamed of at least equaling what our elders had done in ‘86, that is to say, bringing Morocco back to the Round of 16. But why not dream of putting on a great performance?”
The coach asserted that he immediately got into the heads of the players and set out with ambition. After passing the first round at the time, the entire team set their sights on winning the World Cup.
Speaking of the quality of African coaches, Regragui said that African leaders may have understood all along that there were great managers in their country who could take over the national team and be the equivalent of European or South American coaches, asserting the quality of the coaches has always been there.
In the same vein, the 48-year-old coach said “We showed that we could take our teams to a very high level, whether it was me, [Senegal’s] Aliou Cissé, or other coaches. I believe there will be a “before-and-after” this World Cup in Qatar.”
“My goal as a coach is not to remove this photo but it is to put a new photo of the next winners here,” concluded Regruagui.
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