CAN-2025: George Weah Reaffirms ‘Full’ Support for Morocco’s Bid

“Mali have one of the best teams in Africa and a strong desire to win. It will be a real battle. Our objective is to secure all three points and qualify for the Round of 16,” Regragui said during a press conference ahead of the match, scheduled for Friday at 9 p.m. local time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.

“After our 2–0 win over Comoros in the opening match, we are now getting into the heart of the competition against a Malian side we’re very familiar with,” he added.

Regragui also warned of the challenge posed by Mali’s national team, Les Aigles (“The Eagles”). “It will be a tough game. They have strong character and technical quality. It’s a team I appreciate, capable of exploiting opportunities, which means they could leave spaces that we will try to use,” he added.

“We have been managing and shouldering the pressure for a year and a half. No match is ever won at halftime. Despite sterile possession, the opponent often ends up exhausted,” Regragui argued, noting that the squad is complete except for Roman Saïss, who is injured.

“Apart from Romain, who felt a slight muscle strain, Hamza Igamane and Achraf Hakimi, who are recovering, the group is ready. We will make the right decisions for Achraf tomorrow,” the national coach said.

Regarding the young defender Abdelhamid Aït Boudlal, Regragui assured that the Stade Rennais player has “enormous talent.”

“In his development, there have been ups and downs. He’s a gem for the future. I had selected him for the national team more than a year ago when he was playing for Rennes’ reserve team. Today, everyone is asking for him to be a starter. We’re going to support him,” he said.

Moreover, Regragui highlighted the role of Azzeddine Ounahi, believing that when the Girona player “is at the top of his game, Morocco becomes a great team.”

MAP: 25 December 2025

On this occasion, the French diplomat and MAP Director General followed explanations on the functioning of this editorial office, which is located within the Maghreb Arab Press Agency, and discussed with its managers the various aspects of covering this continental competition.

In a statement to MAP, Lecourtier welcomed the establishment of this newsroom designed to cover an extremely intense and major sporting event on which “the eyes of Africa and sports enthusiasts will be set during the upcoming weeks.”

“I am very delighted to see a team of French journalists come here to work with their Moroccan colleagues so as to highlight this major event in the most modern way possible,” he said.

According to the French ambassador, this project is the continuation of a long-standing cooperation covering a wide range of areas between the two news agencies.

For his part, Arif told MAP that the joint newsroom, which involves Moroccan and French journalists and mentors, forms part of the 2nd phase of the training program launched more than a month ago, with teams from MAP’s sports division, photographers and social media content creators participating in a training workshop in Paris.

This is one aspect of bilateral cooperation that is poised to grow and expand soon along with other areas of agency journalism, he stressed. “We are all optimistic about the outcomes and the interest both parties place on this cooperation.”

MAP and AFP signed last October in Paris a cooperation agreement to establish partnership in sports journalism.

The said agreement, signed by MAP Director General Fouad Arif and AFP CEO Fabrice Fries aims at promoting the exchange of expertise, editorial and technological innovation, and conducting common projects.

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.”

“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.

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.

This Fan Zone has been set up at the International University Campus of Rabat, which falls under the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI). More than 80 nationalities live on this campus, including students from 47 African countries, making it one of the places with the greatest diversity per square meter on the African continent.

The inauguration ceremony of the AMCI Fan Zone, held notably in the presence of the Dean of African Ambassadors to Morocco, Mouhamadou Youssifou, African ambassadors accredited in Rabat, the CAF Secretary General, Véron Mosengo-Omba, and the Ambassador Director General of AMCI, Mohamed Methqal, also saw the participation of ambassadors from African countries accredited to the Kingdom, as well as a large number of international students and graduates of Morocco’s cooperation programs, who came to celebrate this event marked by fraternity and the promotion of sporting values.

This Fan Zone places the youth at the heart of this major continental celebration, making sport, the arts and culture vehicles for exchange, integration and sharing.

This initiative illustrates the Kingdom of Morocco’s commitment to implementing the Vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, for an emerging and sustainable Africa based on effective solidarity and the promotion of South-South cooperation. It also reflects the central place accorded by the Sovereign to African youth.

Covering an area of 5,000 square meters, the AMCI Fan Zone aims to welcome nearly 50,000 visitors throughout AFCON 2025.

In a festive atmosphere combining sport, culture and entertainment, and involving students and graduates of the Kingdom’s cooperation programs, the Fan Zone will offer throughout the competition live broadcasts of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations matches on a giant screen, the organization of a football tournament dedicated to students, gaming and e-sports areas fostering interaction and conviviality, eight diverse artistic and cultural days featuring performances, as well as four thematic conferences.

Currently, around 20,000 African students from 47 countries are pursuing higher education in Morocco through the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation, underscoring the Kingdom’s strong and lasting commitment to a forward-looking and solidarity-based South-South cooperation.