AFCON 2025 :  Regragui left heartbroken after Morocco’s AFCON final loss

Walid Regragui did not hide his pain. Standing before the cameras after Morocco’s cruel defeat to Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations final, the Atlas Lions coach spoke with the weight of a nation on his shoulders — and with the bitterness of a dream that died in the final moments.

“It’s very hard, I won’t lie to you. We didn’t even have a minute to be African champions,” Regragui admitted, still stunned by the dramatic ending. The Moroccan coach described football as “often cruel”, and this final proved it in the harshest way.

The match had been finely balanced, a tense tactical battle where neither side dominated. “It was a bit like a boxing match,” Regragui said. “We ended up 50-50 in possession, in shots, in opportunities. In a final, it’s about the details — and you have to take your chances.”

Morocco had those chances. They hit the bar. They missed a crucial penalty. And in the last seconds, fate turned against them.

“In the end, it’s a Hitchcockian scenario, with this penalty at the last second. What could the title have given us? It’s unfortunate for the Moroccan people,” he said.

Regragui was clear about where the match slipped away. “We gave up the penalty and everything turned around,” he explained, summing up a final where margins were painfully thin.

The defeat hurts even more because of how close Morocco were. “It breaks our hearts, because I don’t think we’ve ever been so close to an African Cup as today,” he confessed.

Morocco had not reached such a stage in 22 years, and for a moment, history seemed within reach. Instead, they leave with regrets — and with congratulations for the champions.

“But congratulations to Senegal,” Regragui said, showing class in defeat. “They deserve their title.”