Regragui hails Super Eagles after Morocco’s AFCON Semi-Final win
Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has praised the Super Eagles after his side survived a tense semi-final battle to eliminate Nigeria from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The match at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah ended 0–0 after 90 minutes, before Morocco edged through on penalties to book their place in Sunday’s final against Senegal. Despite the victory, Regragui was quick to acknowledge the quality and resilience of Eric Chelle’s Nigerian side.
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“We came up against a very solid team”
Speaking after the match, Regragui described Nigeria as one of the most physically demanding and organised teams his players had faced during the tournament.
“They are an athletic team, they ran a lot,” he said. “They had two shots, one of which was on target. It just goes to show we have been talking about defence for three years now.”
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With only six shots recorded across the entire game, the semi-final was defined by structure, discipline and tactical caution. Regragui admitted his players had to work extremely hard to neutralise Nigeria’s threat on the break.
“We came up against a very solid team,” he added. “We closed down the angles of positioning and the transitions. It was tough, I won’t lie.”
Bounou the hero as Morocco survive
The deadlock was finally broken in the penalty shootout, where Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou emerged as the decisive figure. He saved spot-kicks from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi to send the Atlas Lions into the final. It was a heartbreaking end for Nigeria, who had matched the hosts throughout the night and limited Morocco to few clear chances in front of their home crowd.
Regragui’s winning mentality
Regragui, who guided Morocco to a historic World Cup semi-final in 2022, said his team’s defensive identity and fighting spirit continue to be the foundation of their success.
“We have a fighting spirit, a desire to play for the jersey. It has always been my objective to instil that,” he said. “What interests me is self-esteem. It can be perceived as arrogance, but I don’t expect people to give me anything. No one can erase what I’ve done before.”
He also spoke about building a culture of consistency at the highest level. “We need to change our DNA. We need to get used to playing in the semi-finals. The more consistent we are, the more titles we can win.”
Eyes now on Senegal
Looking ahead to Sunday’s final against Senegal, Regragui described the showdown as a fitting climax to the tournament.
“It’s a superb final with the best African teams of the last three years,” he said. “They are a fantastic team and golden people, brothers of Morocco. It’s a superb match-up.”
For now, Morocco celebrate reaching another AFCON final. But even in victory, Regragui made it clear that Nigeria’s Super Eagles pushed his side to their limits and deserved full respect for their performance in Rabat.
SportsLigue