On CNN, Walid Regragui Highlights Atlas Lions’ Ambitions at Africa Cup of Nations

2024-01-28

Washington – Morocco’s national football team head coach, Walid Regragui, highlighted, in an interview broadcast by CNN, the ambitions of the Atlas Lions at the Africa Cup of Nations, noting that the team will do its best to win the tournament.

Winning the Africa Cup of Nations “is very hard” but the players “will do their best” to claim the title and make the Moroccan people happy again, said the head coach of Morocco, which according to the US news channel is now part of the “elite” of world football after the historic performance achieved at the last World Cup.

“More than a year after a fairytale performance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, all eyes are still on Morocco’s national football team and its head coach Walid Regragui,” CNN pointed out.

“And to up the stakes even more, they are one of the favorites to win this latest edition of the Africa Cup of Nations,” CNN added during this interview carried out at the Mohammed VI Football Complex in Salé.

According to Regragui, Morocco has “important goals” during this CAN. “In this training center [Mohammed VI Football Complex] there is a photograph of the national team which were the last winners of the African Cup in 1976. Every day when the players come here, they look at the photo and get inspired. My goal as a coach is not to remove this photo but it is to put a new photo of the next winners here,” Morocco’s head coach stressed.

The Atlas Lions head coach, who noted that Morocco must regularly qualify for the World Cup, did not rule out the possibility that an African team would win the trophy one day.

Regarding his personal achievements, Africa’s “Coach of the Year” said that “these are not things I’m very interested in”. “What interests me most is my team,” he underlined.

“Today many individual trophies are awarded, either CAF, Ballon d’Or or FIFA Awards. It is nice to see Africans like myself at these awards, because it enhances the continent, and most of all, it enhances the Moroccan football landscape,” Regragui said.

On Tuesday, Morocco will take on South Africa in the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations.

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Morocco “Will Do Whatever It Takes to Win AFCON Title,” Says Head Coach

Morocco’s national football team head coach, Walid Regragui, said on Saturday in Rabat that the Atlas Lions will do whatever it takes to achieve their goal of winning the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Sunday’s match against Comoros at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, which kicks off the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) scheduled to take place from December 21 to January 18 in Morocco, Regragui emphasized that “we are aware of the responsibility that falls on us. Our goal is to win the trophy and the players are ready to have a good AFCON.”

Discussing the match against Comoros, the national coach emphasized that “every match is important because we represent Morocco. We have to manage our emotions because there are high expectations, but the players must remain calm, confident, humble and respectful of their opponents.”

Regarding the injuries of certain players on the national team, Regragui noted the need to “adapt to difficulties and last-minute injuries to players,” adding that “the national team has been preparing for these uncertainties for a long time.”

“Every player who is selected will be ready and will do the job,” he insisted.

“Today, we have the determination and conviction that we can win. We want to stay on this path so that Moroccan football remains at the top level and we can compete for titles,” said Regrargui.

“Being the favorites in this competition means that expectations will be high,” he explained, adding that “we have positive pressure that pushes us to better manage our effort, our game, and our mental state.”

Regarding Achraf Hakimi’s participation, Regragui emphasized the player’s efforts to recover, saying that the PSG defender is “an example to everyone given the work he has done to be present at the Africa Cup of Nations.”

According to him, “all the ingredients are there to win, namely motivation, unity and the crowd,” noting that “we have difficult games during which we could suffer, but it only makes the win feel better.”

Morocco-Comoros (2–0): A Tough Match, Well-Deserved Victory – Head Coach

Morocco’s victory over Comoros (2–0) on Sunday evening at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, in the opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) football tournament, was “well deserved,” despite a difficult match, national coach Walid Regragui said.

“The opening match is always difficult for the host country. There was a lot of tension. We have been preparing for this AFCON for two years. This victory was beneficial for us as well as for the fans. We will grow stronger as the tournament progresses,” Regragui stressed at the post-match press conference.

“We corrected our mistakes in the second half. We knew the Comorians would crack after enduring a lot of pressure,” he noted, describing El Kaabi’s goal as “extraordinary.”

“We played to our strengths and with the right mindset. We stayed focused even though we faced difficulties in the first half,” he added, noting that the Comoros team will pose problems for other opponents.

Thanks to this victory, Morocco (3 points) temporarily move to the top of Group A.

The second group match will pit Mali against Zambia on Monday at the Mohammed V Sports Complex in Casablanca.

Morocco Strikes into 2025 AFCON with Convincing 2-0 Victory Against Comoros

The Moroccan national football team defeated its Comorian counterpart (2-0) in the opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco 2025), played on Sunday evening at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

The first goal of the match was scored by Brahim Diaz in the 55th minute, before Ayoub El Kaabi doubled the lead with a spectacular acrobatic overhead kick in the 74th minute.

Thanks to this victory, Morocco provisionally takes the lead in Group A with 3 points.

The second match in the group will see Mali take on Zambia on Monday (3:00 p.m. Moroccan time) at the Mohammed V Stadium in Casablanca.

World Cup 2026: 5 Mln Ticket Requests in 24 Hours, Brazil–Morocco Second Most Sought-after Match, Says FIFA

Five million ticket applications were submitted in the first 24 hours of the new random selection draw phase for the 2026 World Cup, a level that underscores the scale of global demand for the competition, FIFA announced.

Initial data reveal strong interest in high-profile group-stage fixtures: Colombia–Portugal (Miami, June 27) is currently the most requested match, followed by Brazil–Morocco (New York/New Jersey, June 13), the world football governing body said in a statement.

The matches Mexico–Republic of Korea (Guadalajara, June 18), Ecuador–Germany (New York/New Jersey, June 25) and Scotland–Brazil (Miami, June 24) complete the Top 5, the same source added, noting that the five fixtures bring together nine teams from five continents.

Ticket requests have been submitted from more than 200 countries and territories via the FIFA.com/tickets platform since the opening of this third sales phase.

After the three host countries—Canada, Mexico and the United States—the ten most represented countries of residence in the applications are Colombia, England, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Scotland, Germany, Australia, France and Panama, the same source noted, explaining that the strong presence of South American countries, as well as Scotland’s return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence, illustrates the global enthusiasm generated by this edition.

The draw phase remains open until Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. ET (5:00 p.m. CET). FIFA recalls that the time at which an application is submitted has no impact on the chances of being selected.

Fans can choose their matches, ticket categories and desired quantities, within the limits set per household. An official resale/exchange marketplace will open on December 15, 2025.

Supporters can consult the FAQs, legal documents and official draw rules on FIFA.com/tickets. No purchase obligation is required to participate, but any successful application will result in an automatic charge to the authorized payment card. Fans must be at least 18 years old, the same source added.

AFCON Morocco-2025: Morocco’s Head Coach Unveils List of Players

National coach Walid Regragui unveiled on Thursday a list of 28 players, including 2 reserves, selected ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will take place from December 21 to January 18 in Morocco, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation announced.

Morocco will compete in Group A of the AFCON alongside Comoros, Mali, and Zambia.

Below is the list of selected players:

– Goalkeepers:

Mounir El Kajoui (Renaissance Berkane), Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal/Saudi Arabia), Mehdi Lahrar (Raja Casablanca)

– Defenders:

Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain/France), Mohamed Chibi (Pyramids/Egypt), Jawad El Yamiq (Al-Najma/Saudi Arabia), Romain Saïss (Al-Sadd/Qatar), Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal (Stade Rennais/France), Nayef Aguerd (Marseille/France), Adam Masina (Torino/Italy), Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United/England), Anass Salah-Eddine (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands).

– Midfielders:

Oussama Targhaline (Feyenoord/Netherlands), Sofyan Amrabat (Real Betis/Spain), Ismael Saibari (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands), Neil El Ainaoui (AS Roma/Italy), Bilal El Khannous (Stuttgart/Germany), Azzedine Ounahi (Girona/Spain)

– Forwards:

Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid/Spain), Ilias Akhomach (Villarreal/Spain), Chemseddine Talbi (Sunderland/England), Youssef En-Nesyri (Fenerbahçe/Turkey), Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiakos/Greece), Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain FC/United Arab Emirates), Abdessamad Ezzalzouli (Real Betis/Spain), Eliesse Ben Seghir (Leverkusen/Germany).

Reserves:

Youssef Belammari (Raja Casablanca), Hamza Igamane (Lille/France).

World Cup 2026 Draw Places Morocco in Group C with Brazil, Scotland, Haiti

Morocco was drawn in Group C of the 2026 World Cup alongside Brazil, Scotland, and Haiti, following Friday’s draw at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

The draw ceremony was attended by US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, whose countries are co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, as well as delegations representing the qualifying countries.

The 2026 World Cup promises to be “the biggest World Cup ever organized,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on this occasion.

The 42 already qualified countries will be joined in March by six play-off winners, rounding the number of participants to 48, a first in World Cup history.

This exceptional edition of the World Cup is the first to be jointly organized by three countries and the first to bring together 48 countries, which will play a total of 104 matches, including 78 in the United States, 13 in Canada, and 13 in Mexico.

The 48 participating nations are divided into twelve groups of four teams, with the top two teams in each group qualifying directly for the round of 16. The eight best third-placed teams will complete the draw.

The opening match is scheduled for June 11 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. The final will take place on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in Greater New York.

Sixteen stadiums will host the competition’s matches (eleven in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada).

Monday 22 December 2025