Regragui: AFCON Won't Be Won by Talk, Players Under Immense Pressure

Walid Regragui, the head coach of the Moroccan national team, affirmed his desire to win the Africa Cup of Nations, but stressed that this would only happen through the unity of everyone, including the fans, who must stand behind the players.

Speaking at a press conference after the 1-1 draw against Mali in the second round, Regragui stated: "The crowd was exceptional, and we felt great enthusiasm. They cheered us throughout the match, and perhaps without this support and enthusiasm, the game would have been much more difficult. Today, we played with 12 players."

He added: "There should be no doubts. The players are under immense pressure. If we start complaining after every match, it will be difficult. So, I am here to defend them. The Africa Cup cannot be won easily. There are no doubts; we are in first place with 4 points. We have a match on Monday, God willing, and we want to win it and secure 7 points to top the group and remain here in Rabat."

Walid concluded by saying: "After the group stage, another competition will begin, which is the knockout stage where mistakes are forbidden. What's important is not whether the fans are upset or not; we are first in the group, we want to qualify, and we want to win it. We will win it together; we won't win it with talk."

It is worth noting that the Moroccan national team will face Zambia in the third and final round of the group stage next Monday (20:00 GMT+1) at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.