Moroccan football fans woke up to deep shock after losing the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat, a defeat many see as the result of major technical and tactical errors by head coach Walid Regragui.
The setback has revived the question: has the “Ras Lafouka” era with the Atlas Lions reached its limit?
The first mistake, according to the article, began before the tournament with friendly matches scheduled against “second and third tier” opponents that offered no real test of Morocco’s true level. These tailor-made friendlies painted a misleading picture, hiding tactical gaps that appeared clearly at critical moments during AFCON.
Regragui’s second error was emotional squad selection, described as a “list of affection” that favored out-of-form or physically unfit players while overlooking fresher, in-form names shining in domestic and European leagues. This approach turned the bench into almost meaningless numbers, forcing the team to rely heavily on the same 11 players and paying the price through injuries, fatigue and a lack of effective alternatives in the final.
Third, the article accuses Regragui of tactical sterility, saying his style has become a “book wide open” and easily read by opponents. He struggled to find creative attacking solutions against compact defenses and stuck to a cautious game plan that no longer works against teams that now fully understand how to neutralize Morocco’s key weapons.
The fourth “sin” was weak in-game management, with poor reading of big matches and substitutions that came too late or out of context. These changes rarely added value and sometimes disrupted the team’s structure, which was evident in the final against Senegal.
Now, after missing a historic chance to lift the trophy at home, a large section of Moroccan supporters is demanding accountability and a serious review of these failed choices. The core question they pose is whether it is time for a new profile to lead the Atlas Lions into the 2026 World Cup, or whether federation president Fouzi Lekjaa has a different plan in mind.
