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

On this occasion, HRH Prince Moulay Rachid was greeted by the President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, Fouzi Lekjaa, the National Team coach, Walid Regragui, and the members of the National Team, before posing for a commemorative photo.

This reception reflects the High Benevolence with which His Majesty the King, may God assist Him, has continually surrounded the youth and supported their development through sports, and the particular interest the Sovereign attaches to this sector in general, and to football in particular.

His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, sent, immediately after the end of the final match between the national team and its Senegalese counterpart, a message of congratulations to the members of the National Team. In this message, the Sovereign emphasized that, “through this distinguished campaign, you have demonstrated that perseverance, dedication, and team spirit are the keys to achieving excellence” and “also shown the world what Moroccan and African youth can accomplish when they believe in their talents and abilities”.

“You also proved, through determination and your heroic and honorable performance, the importance of my strategic vision to invest in human capital and modernize the Kingdom’s infrastructure, which demonstrated their resilience and their world-class level of preparation ahead of the organization of the 2030 World Cup,” HM the King stated in His message.

They are goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who “delivered an outstanding campaign, conceding just two goals in seven matches,” and his teammates Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, and Brahim Diaz, who finished as the tournament’s top scorer, according to a press release from the African body.

The list is completed by four players from Senegal, namely Moussa Niakhaté, Pape Gueye, Idrissa Gueye, and Sadio Mané, in addition to Nigerians Calvin Bassey, Ademola Lookman, and Victor Osimhen.

The tournament’s Team of the Tournament was selected by the CAF TSG, which implemented a fully integrated evaluation model, initially remotely and then on-site throughout the competition, supported by live data platforms, multi-angle video feeds, and dedicated video analysts.

Despite losing in the final, AFCON host country, Morocco, can celebrate a return to the top 10 for the first time since April 1998, achieving its highest ranking ever, FIFA said in a statement.

The Atlas Lions now have 1,736.57 points, up 20.23. Their rise came at the expense of Croatia (11th, −1), which drops out of the top 10, as well as Belgium (9th, −1) and Germany (10th, −1).

The top of the ranking remains unchanged, with Spain (1st), Argentina, the reigning FIFA World Cup champion (2nd), and France (3rd) continuing to lead.

In Africa, Morocco leads, with Senegal (12th, +7) following. Nigeria (26th) and Cameroon (45th) made historic 12-place gains after the Africa Cup of Nations.

FIFA noted that CAF now has nine teams in the top 50, two more than at the end of 2025, while AFC and CONCACAF each lost a spot. UEFA dominates with 26 teams in the top 50, CONMEBOL has seven, and OFC remains unrepresented.

“These are matches decided by mental strength and fine margins. It’s a wonderful gift for the Moroccan public,” Regragui said at the post-match press conference following the semi-final, which Morocco won on penalties (4-2) after a goalless draw at the end of extra time.

To win titles, Regragui stressed, a strong mindset is required, not just talented players, while praising the performances of Moroccan football in recent years.

On this occasion, the national coach also expressed his sincere thanks to His Majesty King Mohammed VI for the continuous support the Sovereign provides to the national team and for the development of football in the Kingdom.

“We faced a solid, well-organized team. We needed a lot of energy and must recover as quickly as possible,” he added, noting that the most important thing is that Morocco have reached the AFCON final, 22 years after their last appearance in 2004 against Tunisia.

“We went through difficult moments. We must stay positive and focused in order to win this title together,” Regragui continued, adding that preparations will begin on Thursday ahead of the final against Senegal, scheduled for the 18th of this month in Rabat.

In this context, the national coach praised the work of the Atlas Lions’ medical staff, describing it as “one of the best in the world.” “Today’s victory also belongs to the entire staff. It is Morocco’s victory,” he underlined.

“Youssef En-Nesyri volunteered to take the final penalty. That shows the personality of this great player, who has given so much to the Moroccan team,” he said, noting that the players form a “close-knit group.”

Sunday’s match will be very important for the history of Moroccan football, Regragui added, stressing that the national team must be consistent in reaching the latter stages of major tournaments.

For his part, Yassine Bounou, named Man of the Match, thanked the fans for their unwavering support of the Atlas Lions during this difficult encounter.

“The love shown by the fans toward the national team players pushes us to make even greater efforts,” he said, noting that Morocco faced a “very strong Nigerian team.”

“We prepared well for this match. I thank all the players. We will recover mentally and physically over the next three days so that we can deliver a strong performance in the final,” Bounou concluded.

In the other semifinal, played earlier in the afternoon at the Grand Stade de Tanger, Senegal edged past Egypt with a 1–0 victory.

Morocco’s goals were scored by Brahim Díaz in the 26th minute and Ismael Saibari in the 74th.

Morocco’s last trial to reach the final will be against the winner of the clash between Nigeria and Algeria scheduled for Saturday at 5 p.m. local time.