Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has acknowledged the difficulty in losing the Africa Cup of Nations final to Senegal, emphasizing that football can be cruel in such moments, especially in a match decided by fine margins and a complex scenario.
The Atlas Lions’ quest of ending their 50 year trophy AFCON drought dashed after succumbing to a 1-0 defeat to Senegal in a chaotic final on Sunday night.
Senegal had left the field after referee Jacques Ndala awarded a penalty kick to Morocco, minutes after disallowing a goal for the Taranga Lions.
But Sadio Mane urged his teammates to return to the pitch for the continuation of the match. Their return paid off, with Pape Gueye netting the match winner after Brahim Diaz had squandered a penalty kick.
At the post-match conference, Regragui acknowledged the difficulty in losing the title to the West African outfit.
“It’s very, very difficult,” Regragui said during the post-match press conference. “The match turned against us after we were forced to play extra time with ten men, which clearly affected the course of the game.”
For the first time, Senegal has triumphed over the host nation after five previous attempts without a victory against the home team.
The Taranga Lions now hold the second-longest unbeaten run in the Africa Cup of Nations with 18 matches, after Egypt, who hold the record with 24 matches.
Meanwhile, the Atlas Lions has been absent from the podium in the Africa Cup of Nations for 50 years, since winning the title in 1976.
