Regragui insists Morocco’s final defeat does not change his African champions claim

Walid Regragui says he considers himself an African champion despite Morocco losing a controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final to Senegal, with the result still the subject of a legal challenge.

The former Morocco head coach believes his side were the best team at the tournament and maintains that they did everything possible to win the trophy. Senegal ultimately prevailed in a final that became one of the most contentious matches in recent African football history.

The encounter on 18 January 2026 was marked by the quality of the two teams, tense scenes in the closing stages, decisions made by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Senegal’s subsequent appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Regragui has rarely spoken publicly about the match since that evening. In an interview with 532 Off, he said Morocco had produced an outstanding campaign and argued that the final could have gone either way.

“For us, we had a great tournament, we were one of the best teams or the best and we played great matches. Regarding the final, we will wait to see what the Court of Arbitration for Sport says. We could have won just as the opponent could have done. For me, we reached the 90th minute and were awarded a penalty; if Brahim Diaz had scored it, we would have been crowned champions. For me, as a coach, we did everything to win the title. For me, I am an African champion, whether people like it or not,” he said.

The controversy escalated late in the match when referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty in the final seconds. Senegal left the field after the decision before returning to complete the match.

Brahim Diaz took responsibility for the spot-kick but saw his Panenka saved by Edouard Mendy. The penalty miss meant Morocco were unable to turn the late opportunity into a decisive goal, while the events surrounding the award of the kick continued to dominate the aftermath.

Regragui said he did not discuss the missed penalty directly with Diaz. Instead, he offered the player encouragement and told him to use the experience as a lesson.

“I did not say anything to him. I simply told him once: ‘My son, what happened will teach you a lot and make you stronger as a player. You must learn from every experience.’”

Regragui was dismissed as Morocco coach a few weeks before the 2026 World Cup. Despite no longer being in charge, he continues to view the Africa Cup of Nations campaign and the disputed final through the perspective of a coach who believes his team fulfilled everything required to become champions.

The final outcome remains linked to the proceedings before CAS, while Regragui’s public position is unequivocal: regardless of the official ruling, he regards Morocco as the tournament’s rightful winners.