Regragui says Brahim Diaz can use decisive AFCON penalty miss as a lesson

Walid Regragui has revealed the message he gave Brahim Diaz after the Morocco forward missed a crucial penalty in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal.

Regragui said the experience could ultimately strengthen the Real Madrid player, despite appearing to criticise him immediately after he attempted a Panenka at a decisive moment in the match.

The former Morocco manager discussed the final at length during an appearance on the Magharib podcast, produced by Atheer. Morocco lost the match on the pitch to Senegal, although the result was later overturned by the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) Appeal Jury.

Diaz had the opportunity to settle the contest in Morocco’s favour when he stepped up in the 90th minute of added time. His effort was unsuccessful, meaning Morocco were unable to finish the match before extra time, when the additional period proved costly for the Atlas Lions.

Although Regragui seemed to reprimand Diaz for choosing to try a Panenka in such a high-pressure situation, the 50-year-old also offered an explanation for why the player may have struggled with the penalty.

Regragui pointed to the disruption that followed the withdrawal of the Senegal players from the pitch. The incident came after encouragement from their then manager, Pape Thiaw, and led to a lengthy interruption before the penalty could be taken.

He believes the delay, combined with the tense atmosphere and the pressure created by supporters waiting for the kick, may have unsettled Diaz and affected his execution.

Regragui compared the incident with Kylian Mbappe’s missed penalty against Morocco in the 2026 World Cup quarter-final. Mbappe, who was captain of France, had complained about the extended wait before his attempt because of a VAR check.

The former Morocco manager said he spoke to Diaz after the match and encouraged him to use the disappointment constructively.

His advice was for the forward to learn from what had happened and carry those lessons into the rest of his career. Regragui’s message, as reported from the podcast appearance, was: “My son, what happened will make you stronger.”

The comments come against the background of a final that produced contrasting fortunes for Morocco and Senegal. Morocco were unable to take advantage of Diaz’s late opportunity during the match itself and were forced into extra time, while Senegal eventually prevailed on the field.

However, the outcome did not remain unchanged. The CAF Appeal Jury later awarded the result to Morocco, meaning the tournament’s final was ultimately decided away from the pitch after the original defeat.

Regragui, who is now described as Morocco’s former manager, therefore reflected not only on Diaz’s penalty but also on the circumstances surrounding it. While accepting that the player’s Panenka was a risky decision, he argued that the long interruption and the surrounding tension were important factors in understanding the miss.