Morocco’s Regragui explains the moment his three-year reign came to an end

Walid Regragui has revealed that he decided to leave his position as Morocco manager on the night of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, six weeks before his departure was officially confirmed.

The 50-year-old ended his three-and-a-half-year spell in charge of the Atlas Lions on 5 March. Speaking on the Magharib podcast for the Atheer media outlet, Regragui said his decision had been made after Morocco’s controversial 1-0 extra-time defeat by Senegal in the final in Rabat on 18 January.

The former Wydad Casablanca manager left with the belief that he had fulfilled his responsibilities. Regragui continues to insist that he is an African champion, “whether people like it or not”.

Morocco’s defeat came in unusual circumstances. The hosts were awarded a penalty in stoppage time, prompting Senegal’s players to leave the pitch temporarily. Regragui believes the action, ordered by Senegal’s then-manager Pape Thiaw, altered the course of a final which appeared to be heading Morocco’s way.

He has also argued that the interruption, combined with the highly charged atmosphere surrounding the incident, affected Brahim Diaz when the Morocco forward missed from the spot in the 90th minute plus 24.

For Regragui, the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Jury to award the title to Morocco two months later represented justice being served.

He had considered leaving the national team before that final. Regragui said he had already wanted to resign in 2024, following Morocco’s elimination by South Africa in the last 16 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

“I had already submitted my resignation after the elimination,” he said.

However, Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), persuaded him to remain in the job.

“He told me: ‘You have not finished your work.’ (…) And I thank him for that. He was right,” Regragui said.

Regragui had taken charge of Morocco for the first time in 2022 and guided the team to a historic World Cup semi-final in Qatar later that year. His tenure eventually ended after the events surrounding the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, although the CAF Appeal Jury’s ruling subsequently changed the official outcome of the tournament in Morocco’s favour.

The former Morocco manager’s comments give further insight into the decision to step down after a period in which he had helped establish the Atlas Lions as one of Africa’s leading international sides. Despite the disappointment of the final, he believes his work was complete and that the later ruling confirmed his view of what happened in Rabat.