Regragui: "Diaz is Very Motivated for This AFCON and Wanted to Take the Penalty, But the Order Was Respected Because Rahimi is the First Taker"

Walid Regragui, head coach of the Moroccan national team, confirmed that respecting the order of penalty takers is one of the organizational points the technical staff adheres to. He made these remarks during the press conference following the Atlas Lions' victory over Comoros in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Regragui clarified the sequence of penalty takers within the squad, stating: "The official penalty taker is Sofiane Rahimi, followed by Brahim. Diaz is very motivated for this AFCON, and perhaps he wanted to reassure himself and take that kick, but in the end, the sequence was respected."

In the same context, the national coach emphasized the clarity of this order within the group, adding: "The first is Rahimi, the second is Brahim, and the third is Ounahi, and so on. Opponents will know this."

He continued: "We emphasized certain things at halftime, and we corrected aspects that we weren't pleased with, which was important. What distinguishes us after a year and a half or two years of work is that we have become accustomed to these types of scenarios, and we know how to deal with them with patience and commitment."

Regragui concluded: "We have a strong bench that allows us to maintain the same tempo. We were confident we would score, and we repositioned some players and asked them to return to our principles. Once they committed to the instructions, everything became easier."