Reports from the Moroccan press indicate that Walid Regragui, head coach of the Moroccan national team, could be facing dismissal following the Atlas Lions’ narrow 1-0 defeat to Senegal in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final.
Regragui, who famously guided Morocco to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, came close to ending the country’s 50-year AFCON title drought but fell just short after two periods of extra time.
Moroccan outlet Al-Botola reported on Thursday that the Moroccan Football Federation is considering a change in leadership and has already shortlisted three candidates to replace Regragui, including one domestic coach and two foreign options.
Among the potential successors, Tariq Sektioui, who coaches Morocco’s second national team, is viewed as a leading contender.
The same sources suggest that Regragui has received informal offers from several Arab national teams that will participate in the 2026 World Cup, including Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, with the possibility of Iraq also qualifying.
The looming uncertainty around Regragui’s future is particularly striking given his earlier comments. In a television interview with the Spanish program El Chiringuito, the Moroccan coach acknowledged the high stakes of his role.
“My contract extends until the 2026 World Cup, but if I don’t win the Africa Cup of Nations, the contract will be until the Africa Cup of Nations,” he said at the time.
Following Morocco’s failure to win AFCON 2025, the coach is now facing possible dismissal.
However, it is unclear whether his employers will retain him in appreciation of the tremendous work he has done since taking charge of the team.
