Walid Regragui and Pape Thiaw bring rich personal stories and high expectations into the AFCON 2025 final between Morocco and Senegal, making this a coaching duel that mirrors the quality on the pitch.
Both are local tacticians carrying the hopes of nations desperate to crown a golden generation.
Walid Regragui has become a symbol of continuity in Moroccan football, guiding the Atlas Lions from a historic World Cup 2022 run into a continental powerhouse. He is now the second Moroccan coach ever to lead the Atlas Lions to an AFCON final, following Ezzaki Badou, who finished runner-up in 2004. This campaign offers him the chance to end Morocco’s long wait for a continental title and validate years of investment in local coaching.
On the opposite bench, Pape Thiaw represents Senegal’s new generation of homegrown coaches trusted with big stages. He leads Senegal into his second CAF final, having been in charge when they defeated hosts Algeria in the 2022 CHAN final, underlining his growing reputation in knockout football. Victory here would place him among the few African coaches to win both CHAN and AFCON, a rare and prestigious double.
For the fourth AFCON edition in a row, the trophy will be lifted by an African coach, with Regragui or Thiaw set to follow Djamel Belmadi, Aliou Cissé and Emerse Fae. Their presence on the touchline reinforces the belief that African managers can succeed at the very highest level when given trust, time and resources.
The AFCON 2025 final between Senegal and Morocco will be played on Sunday at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, Morocco, with kickoff scheduled for 19:00 GMT. The whole world will be watching this final.
