The Atlas Lions secured a historic spot in the semis following a 2-0 quarter-final win against Cameroon in a sold-out Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Brahim Diaz and Ismail Saibari scored in either half to seal a memorable win as Morocco reached its first semi-final since 2004. The last time Morocco reached the last four stage was 22 years ago, when Regragui was still a player.
Morocco united with one cause
“Thank you to the players and the fans. We played with 12 men, and we really felt like we were at home. We played our best first half since the World Cup or the friendly against Brazil,” Regragui told reporters after the game.
“The victory is deserved; we put in a lot of intensity. Our players gave everything, and when they stay focused, things go well. I am very happy with what they showed."
He added: “This is historic - it has been 22 years since Moroccans had seen their national team in the semi-finals. They deserve it. Now, we must keep our feet on the ground. Congratulations to Cameroon and their young team, which has a bright future.”
Regragui further explained how he psyched his team after the battling Round of 16 fixture against Tanzania, which they won 1-0 following a 64th-minute goal from Diaz.
“I never intended to make any changes to the team," explained Regragui. “We needed to restore confidence, be positive, and correct our mistakes. We worked hard over the last three or four days.
“The players implemented what we wanted to do. It’s more mental. The most important thing is that our group is united, and we showed it against Cameroon.”
On his game plan, he explained: “We needed to win more duels than against Tanzania. We lost possession a lot. We needed to move around a lot and win the midfield battle. We can still improve. We responded like a great team. We had to send a message.
“We must remain humble because every team wants to beat us, and we must respect all our opponents.”
On Diaz, who has so far scored five goals from five matches in the AFCON, and has been seen as the game-changer for Morocco in the 2025 edition, Regragui said: “Diaz has changed his mentality. He runs, he fights, he keeps possession, he sends a message.
“He works for the team and does what I ask of him. He can be the best player in the world if he wants to be.”
Morocco aim to go all the way
On why he substituted him against the Indomitable Lions, he said: “Diaz isn’t injured. He’s fine. Just tired, but that’s part of the competition. We’ve been gradually increasing his playing time because he wasn’t getting enough. That’s the most important thing.”
Previewing the other last eight fixture pitting Algeria against Nigeria, he said: “They are two great nations, two teams with different styles. If it’s Algeria, it will be a great derby, a great celebration, and we will be very happy. The best team will advance.”
Saibari maintained that Morocco’s aim is to go all the way to the final, adding that the squad will not rest until they achieve the feat.
“We have now reached the semi-finals, and our aim is to go all the way to the final. Our fans supported us massively and never doubted us. We will now rest, wait to see our semi-final opponent, and then start preparing while correcting the mistakes we made earlier,” said Saibari.
“We work very well as a group in the Moroccan national team and know each other well. We are fighting together to win the title.”
Morocco will face either Algeria or Nigeria in the semi-final at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Wednesday.
