Morocco head coach Walid Regragui expressed deep frustration on Sunday night after the Atlas Lions fell to Senegal in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, losing 1-0 after extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Regragui acknowledged the harsh reality of football, describing the defeat as particularly painful given how close Morocco came to lifting the continental title. “It’s very hard. Football is sometimes cruel. In a final, you have to seize every scoring opportunity. The match unfolded in a way that could have given us the title,” he said.
The Moroccan coach insisted that the final was evenly contested, with his team showing discipline and organization throughout regular time. According to Regragui, the turning point came during extra time, when the dynamics of the match shifted against Morocco. “It was a balanced game. We were well organized. The match took a different turn during extra time. The players gave everything, but you have to accept defeat,” he added.
Regragui also pointed to the missed penalty in the final minute of extra time as a decisive moment that sealed Morocco’s fate. “After the missed penalty, everything turned against us,” he lamented, stressing that the national team had never been so close to winning the Africa Cup of Nations.
Despite the disappointment, Regragui struck a forward-looking tone, expressing confidence in the future of the squad. “The group will come back stronger,” he said, while congratulating Senegal on their title victory. He noted that the defeat would serve as a painful but valuable lesson, particularly for a young generation of players. “We missed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for some, and personally for me as well. We have a young generation that will learn from this,” he stated.
The coach also revealed that Morocco’s problems were compounded by injuries and numerical disadvantage. He confirmed that striker Hamza Igamane was forced off injured, leaving the team to finish the match with ten men. “We lost Igamane and finished the match with ten men. He is probably suffering from a cruciate ligament injury, which could keep him off the pitch for months. I hope the medical tests prove otherwise,” Regragui said.
In his closing remarks, Regragui criticized what he described as incidents that reflected poorly on African football during the final. He specifically mentioned the lengthy suspension of the match, which he said affected the concentration of Brahim Diaz, Morocco’s primary penalty taker.
The defeat leaves Morocco still searching for a second Africa Cup of Nations title, but Regragui maintained that the experience gained in Rabat could lay the foundations for future success on the continental stage.
