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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Playing in World Cup Would Be Fulfillment of Childhood Dream, Says Zakaria El Ouahdi

KRC Genk right-back Zakaria El Ouahdi is aiming for a spot with Morocco at the next World Cup, a goal he describes as “a childhood dream,” despite particularly fierce competition in his position.

“Playing in a World Cup with Morocco would be the fulfillment of a childhood dream,” Zakaria El Ouahdi said in an interview published Saturday by the Belgian daily HBVL, while acknowledging that competition for a place in the national team remains “extremely strong.”

“Achraf Hakimi is the best right-back in the world, Noussair Mazraoui plays for Manchester United, and Omar El Hilali of Espanyol is also a very high-level player,” he explained, noting that national team coach Mohamed Ouahbi also has several options on the left flank, including Salah-Eddine of PSV and El Karouani of Utrecht.

Recently called up to the senior national team, the 23-year-old Zakaria El Ouahdi made his first appearance in a friendly game against Paraguay at the end of March, hoping he “made a good impression.”

Having previously played for youth national teams, he won the U23 Africa Cup of Nations under Issame Charaï, an experience he describes as decisive in his international career and in strengthening his attachment to the Moroccan jersey.

As upcoming fixtures approach, the defender stresses the need to keep improving and to “prove he is in form,” despite an outstanding season with KRC Genk, marked by 11 goals and 3 assists in 37 matches.

Zakaria El Ouahdi was named Belgian Lion 2025, an award recognizing the best player of Maghreb origin playing in Belgium’s top division.

Morocco to Face Norway in Friendly on June 7 in United States

The Moroccan national “A” team will face its Norwegian counterpart in a friendly match scheduled for June 7 at Sports Illustrated Stadium in the city of Harrison (New Jersey), United States.

This friendly match is part of Morocco’s national team preparations for the final phase of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) said in a statement.

Kick-off for this match is scheduled at 8:00 p.m. (Morocco time), according to the same source.

Morocco’s Neil El Aynaoui Attracts Interest from Real Madrid & Barcelona, Says Marca

Moroccan international midfielder Neil El Aynaoui, who plays for AS Roma, is attracting interest from Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and RB Leipzig ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, Spanish sports daily Marca reported on Tuesday.

Having joined AS Roma in July 2025 from RC Lens for a fee of around €25 million, El Aynaoui signed a five-year contract with the Italian club. However, the current context could pave the way for a move as early as this summer, the same source notes.

Marca also recalled the player’s unique career path as the son of former tennis star Younes El Aynaoui, yet having opted for football under the influence of Andrés Iniesta’s playing style. Known for his strong technical ability and high work rate, he has established himself as a key figure in Morocco’s midfield.

Considered among the pillars of Morocco’s national team, reigning African champions, Neil El Aynaoui is looking to the 2026 World Cup to confirm his status and take his career to the next level, the Spanish newspaper adds.

According to Marca, the player, described as “tireless” and “elegant on the ball,” is among the most sought-after midfielders in European football.

Morocco Defeats Paraguay in Football Friendly (2-1)

Morocco’s national football team defeated its Paraguayan counterpart (2-1) in a friendly match held on Tuesday evening at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens.

The Atlas Lions opened the scoring through Bilal El Khannous in the 48th minute. Neil El Aynaoui doubled the tally in the 53rd minute.

Gustavo Caballero pulled one back for Paraguay in the 88th minute.

Morocco-Paraguay (2-1): A Great Victory with Promising Connections to Confirm, Head Coach Says

The Moroccan national team head coach, Mohamed Ouahbi, expressed his satisfaction with his players’ performance following their victory against Paraguay (2-1) on Tuesday evening in Lens, highlighting the adjustments made throughout the match.

“It was a different match from the one against Ecuador, played on Friday in Madrid. We had to find natural connections and adapt to the opponent,” he explained in the post-match press conference.

Ouahbi also emphasized the importance of drawing lessons without rushing: “I am not going to draw all the conclusions right away. I will mainly focus on our level of play, but also on the level of the opponents we will face during the World Cup.”

While praising the squad’s mindset, he reiterated his progressive approach: “I brought a larger squad. I knew that some players were not going to play, but I am very happy with the group. The best and highest-performing players will be selected to take part in the World Cup.”

“We must not change everything all at once in order to maintain a certain level of consistency,” he further insisted.

In this context, he highlighted the balance between ambition and humility: “We want to have a lot of ambition, but also a lot of humility. Expectations are high for us following our recent performances,” he said.

Furthermore, the national coach expressed his pleasure with how smoothly the training camp went: “This first gathering went very peacefully. I am very satisfied,” Ouahbi concluded.

Late El Aynaoui Equalizer Snatches Draw for Morocco Against Ecuador (1-1)

The Moroccan national football team drew 1-1 with their Ecuadorian counterparts on Friday evening in a friendly match played at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.

The Ecuadorians opened the scoring through John Yeboah in the 48th minute. Neil El Aynaoui equalized for the Atlas Lions in the 88th minute of the game.

Mohamed Ouahbi’s men will play a second friendly match against Paraguay on March 31 at the Bollaert-Delelis stadium in Lens.

These two matches are part of the Atlas Lions’ preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

Friday 24 April 2026