Walid Regragui, the 48-year-old head coach of Morocco, has been honored with the prestigious title of Best Coach of the Year in the men’s category by CAF for his exceptional leadership that steered his team into a historic World Cup semi-final run in Qatar.
This distinguished coaching accolade was unveiled during the ceremony held in Marrakech on Monday, recognizing Regragui’s remarkable impact throughout the 2022 football season.
Outshining formidable contenders such as Aliou Cisse of Senegal and Abdelhak Benchika of Algeria, Regragui’s coaching prowess and strategic guidance with Morocco’s talented squad garnered widespread acclaim.
His achievement etched him into football history, marking him as the first African coach to propel a team to the World Cup’s last four.
Despite assuming the coaching mantle merely three months before the tournament, Regragui orchestrated memorable victories over strong opponents like Belgium and Spain.
This transformed Morocco into trailblazers on the grand global stage, a feat that echoed his mastery in extracting the best from his team.
Regragui’s ascent to coaching acclaim followed his August appointment by the Morocco Football Federation, a move that came on the heels of his triumphant leadership in securing the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League with Wydad Casablanca.
While the Moroccan team narrowly missed clinching victory against defending champions France, Regragui’s impact was undeniable.
He masterminded a transformation that shifted Morocco from being considered outsiders to becoming formidable contenders, leaving an indelible mark on the football landscape.
