Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui, has said his team’s victory over Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final was due to a “huge effort” and collective resilience.
The match ended goalless after 120 minutes on Wednesday night, but Morocco triumphed 4-2 in the penalty shootout to advance to the final.
Speaking after the game, Regragui praised his players and the home supporters for their united effort. “We suffered a lot throughout the match, and reaching the AFCON final on home soil is a beautiful gift,” Regragui said in a post-match interview.
He highlighted the physical toll of the encounter, stating, “Now we must think about physical recovery quickly because we made a huge effort. We played extra time, the match was difficult, and it consumed a lot of energy.”
The coach also commended the Nigerian team and their manager, Eric Chelle, for a hard-fought contest. “I congratulate the Nigerian national team and coach Eric Chelle for the great work they’ve done, and I also extend my congratulations to our players and fans, because we all fought together [for victory against Nigeria] without exception,” he added.
Morocco will now face Senegal in the AFCON 2025 final on Sunday, while Nigeria will play Egypt in the third-place match on Saturday.
