Walid Regragui, the former Morocco national team coach, has admitted he feels regret over the image presented to the world in the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Senegal beat Morocco 1-0 in the final on Moroccan soil, but the drama came late. The Senegalese players protested a penalty awarded to Morocco in the closing minutes and walked off the pitch, only to return and complete the match, going on to score in extra time.
The Confederation of African Football then stepped in. Ruling that Senegal had withdrawn from the match, CAF handed the title to Morocco. Senegal rejected the decision and took their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, leaving the identity of the champions caught in a legal dispute off the pitch.
Speaking to the "canal+" network, Regragui said: "At the moment, the African confederation has awarded us the title. And now, there is the Court of Arbitration for Sport. We will wait for the decision and accept it from both sides. What is unfortunate is the delay in its issuance and the delay in handling it administratively."
As reported by the "Foot Mercato" website, he added: "Everyone hopes to climb onto the podium and lift the cup in front of their fans. That did not happen because of an exceptional incident, unprecedented in a continental or global final. The players left the pitch, and had the rules been applied, they would have received a second yellow card, and Senegal would have had to complete the match with nine players. We saw things that have no place on the pitch, from both sides."
He continued: "I am somewhat angry with the Senegal coach because we did not present a good image. In the end, the decision was taken, and it has tarnished the reputation of African football. Whatever the decision the Court of Arbitration for Sport takes."
Regragui concluded: "The following day, I got over it. What matters to me is that we represent a continent. I said this in 2022: a continent that is underestimated, because at the European and global level, there is negative behaviour towards African football, and on that night, we proved the point of those who criticise us."
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