Veteran French coach Claude Le Roy, who has had a long career with several African national teams since the mid-1980s, has chosen Morocco as the best team at the recently concluded 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
The Atlas Lions quest of ending their 50-year trophy drought dashed after succumbing to a narrow defeat to Senegal in a high-stake final, held at the Prince Moulay Stadium in Rabat on January 18, 2026.
Midfielder Pape Gueye emerged as the hero of the match after scoring in extra-time to secure victory for the Taranga Lions after Brahim Diaz had missed a crucial penalty.
Senegal had walked-off the pitch in protest against the penalty that was awarded to the Atlas Lions in the final minutes of regulation time.
But Sadio Mane intervened and rallied his teammates to return for the continuation of the match, which subsequently paid off.
Despite Senegal annexing the title, the experienced tactician has named Morocco as his best team of the continental showpiece.
Speaking to Canal Africa, Leroy stressed Morocco had performed exceptionally well throughout the tournament, highlighting fatigue as a contributing factor for the Atlas Lions AFCON title heartbreak.
For Le Roy, the tough semi-final clash against Nigeria, where the game traveled to extra-time affected Morocco’s performance in the final against Senegal, the eventual winners of the title in the North African country.
The 77-year-old manager has previously led several national teams on the continent, including Cameroon, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Congo, and Togo, achieving numerous accomplishments that have left a mark on the history of African football.
