Regragui: "Winning AFCON Has Been My Sole Goal Since South Africa Disappointment"

Walid Regragui, head coach of the Moroccan national team, downplayed the significance of personal statistics, emphasizing that the true objective remains winning titles and making history with the "Atlas Lions."

Speaking at the press conference ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, Regragui stated, "The first African coach to reach the World Cup semi-finals and the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals? For me, this achievement means nothing. As I told the players, we want to make history, and to do that, we must win titles – that's all people remember."

He added, "We have been on this path to achieving titles for two years. We have spoken on the field with numbers, achieving a record of 19 consecutive wins. We have not lost in either World Cup or Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, and we have an average of two goals per game. Therefore, I don't understand those who say we are a defensive team. The numbers speak for themselves."

Regarding the primary objective in the current phase, Regragui stressed that the focus is solely on winning the trophy: "Our goal is to win, and my personal goal, since the disappointment against South Africa, is to bring the title to Morocco. Now we are two steps away, and each step is harder than the last. All that matters to us today is winning. Tomorrow, perhaps the most important match in our history since the World Cup semi-finals awaits us. We have an opportunity to make history, as Morocco has not played in an Africa Cup of Nations final for 22 years."

It is worth noting that the Moroccan national team will face Nigeria tomorrow, Wednesday, at 21:00 GMT+1, in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final, at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.