Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has shed light on why he adopts a strict approach with star forward Brahim Diaz, insisting his high expectations stem from the player’s immense quality and ability to influence matches.
His comments followed Morocco’s narrow victory over Tanzania, which secured their place in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Regragui admitted that his demanding relationship with Diaz is deliberate, stressing that he believes the forward is capable of delivering much more for the national team when pushed to his limits.
“When we look at Diaz’s statistics with the national team, we realise that he is an effective player. By the way, my constant conflict with Brahim, and he can confirm that, and I think he came to celebrate the goal with me because he knows that I am the harshest with him. Honestly, the player I deal with the most strictly in our group is Brahim, because I know what he can give us, and I know that he is capable of giving his best,” Regragui shared.
The Morocco coach acknowledged Diaz’s decisive contribution but made it clear that scoring alone does not fully satisfy his expectations, pointing to areas where he feels the forward can still improve.
“For example, scoring a goal is good, but there are many things he did that I am not satisfied with, because he has the potential to be better. But he remains our unique player, and at any moment he can make a difference. Our duty is to put him in the best conditions to unlock the codes for us in this type of match, and that is what he did,” the coach noted.
Regragui also revealed that Diaz is gradually understanding the importance of positioning and decision-making, particularly when operating closer to goal, where his talent can be most effective.
“He has begun to understand that when he is close to the penalty area, his talent shines through more, while when he is far from the goal, he puts us in danger because he loses balls due to taking risks. This is the balance that he must achieve, and we have worked on that a lot, just as we have worked on this tournament and on what I expect from him,” he said.
Looking ahead, Regragui expressed confidence in Diaz’s ability to play a key role as the tournament reaches its decisive stages, while also noting the physical demands the forward is still managing.
“He is very excited, and he knows that this is the right time to go far in the ‘CAN’. To win a tournament like this, you need a player who can make a difference, and Brahim is one of those players. He has to maintain his consistency and regain his fitness, as the lack of rhythm he had at Real Madrid made him pay the price in the last 20 minutes. We managed this in the first three matches, and I think he will be in better physical condition in the quarter. In any case, I congratulate him and I am happy for him, because in these matches, it is the talented ones who decide the matter,” he added.
