Regragui: AFCON Round of 16 is 'A New Tournament, Like the Throne Cup'

National coach Walid Regragui stated that the mission was successfully accomplished after the Moroccan national team secured qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 as group leaders.

During the post-match press conference, Walid Regragui said: "We wanted to stay in Rabat because it's important for us. God bless the fans today; they made a great effort, and they are the ones who helped us win. After the draw against Mali, we knew we had to improve quickly."

He added: "Now a new tournament will begin, and it won't be easy. It's similar to the Throne Cup, where anything can happen. We will remain focused, God willing, to reach the furthest possible point, and this is all of our dream."

Regarding the absence of left-back Anas Salah Eddine, Regragui stated: "Every match has its own scenarios, and we must adapt. Anas suffered from muscle discomfort, and before the start of the tournament, we said that any player not 100% ready would not participate."

He continued: "We made the decision to include Mohamed Chibi, whose abilities I know and in whom I trust. He is one of the best full-backs in Africa, has won the Champions League, and also understands our playing style. We also protected Achraf Hakimi, as he was only supposed to play 30 minutes."

Addressing the changes he made to the starting lineup for the match, Regragui responded: "There is competitiveness within the squad, and ultimately, I have to make the right choices at the right time. Today, it seemed to me that it was time to change some things, but that doesn't mean these are permanent changes, as we will need everyone. Today, everything was in our favor because we scored early, unlike previous matches; effectiveness was present. In the end, they might say I changed the lineup (which is why we won), but for me, scoring early changes everything."