Marca: Regragui Faces Confirmation Test at AFCON, Aiming to Prove Qatar World Cup Was Start of Golden Era

Spanish newspaper Marca has highlighted the Moroccan national team as their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, 'Morocco 2025', approaches, scheduled to take place from December 21 to January 18, 2026.

The newspaper affirmed that the Moroccan team, under the leadership of Walid Regragui, is striving to win the Africa Cup for the second time in its history. This ambition comes despite the significant challenge of preparing for the tournament without star player Achraf Hakimi, whose participation is doubtful following a severe injury, which will compel the national coach to devise an alternative plan to compensate for the absence of the Paris Saint-Germain right-back.

Marca added in its report, “Brahim Diaz is expected to be included in the Moroccan squad, as he now embodies the new identity of Moroccan football, which has begun to assert its dominance across various age categories and confirm its strong presence at the senior national team level on the continent.”

The newspaper continued, “Since taking charge of the national team, statistics confirm Regragui’s significant impact, with 29 victories in 40 matches, only 4 losses, 82 goals scored, and 17 conceded. Morocco has also managed to keep 27 clean sheets, making them one of the most solid teams in the world. Their development is also reflected in the FIFA rankings, where they have climbed from 22nd to 12th place.”

The newspaper clarified that Regragui has not only restored competitiveness to the Moroccan national team but also reignited hope and dreams among fans by forming a unified group that revives the Moroccan dream of major achievements. It emphasized that Walid will aim to confirm at the Africa Cup that what happened at the Qatar World Cup was merely the beginning of a new golden era.

It concluded, “With Diaz as a symbol of the new generation, the Atlas Lions are preparing to compete in the Africa Cup on home soil with great ambition to confirm that what happened at the Qatar World Cup was merely the beginning of a new golden era in the history of Moroccan football.”