Regragui: 'We Weren't Afraid, We Just Wanted to Score Quickly'

National coach Walid Regragui spoke after the Moroccan national team's 2-0 victory over Comoros in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations. He acknowledged that the players maintained their focus until they achieved their goal of securing all three points.

After the match, Regragui said: "The first match in the group stage is always difficult, and we see this in the World Cup, the European Championship, or all tournaments. We weren't afraid; we just wanted to score quickly. Missing the penalty didn't help us gain confidence, but we continued to play with our usual style and possession, trying to draw them out of their defensive area."

He added: "We knew that if we didn't score in the first half, they would suffer from fatigue in the second half, and that's what happened. The most important thing is to secure the win and make a good start to the competition. We know our strength will grow as the tournament progresses, especially with the return of Achraf and other injured players."

Regarding whether there was a moment of doubt during the match, Regragui replied: "I won't lie, as a coach, when you miss a penalty in the first 10 minutes and your captain leaves injured, doubt starts to creep in, and you think, 'Be careful they don't catch us off guard.' But the players maintained their focus. We will experience different scenarios in the competition; sometimes we might win by only one goal, or the opponent might score first. That's why we must remain united with our fans."