Walid Regragui hits back at critics as Morocco extend remarkable winning run
Walid Regragui confronted criticism on Saturday night after Morocco claimed another narrow victory, this time a 1-0 win over Mozambique in Tangier.
Morocco stretched their extraordinary streak to 17 consecutive wins when Azzedine Ounahi struck in the seventh minute to give the Atlas Lions an early advantage.
Mozambique, ranked 101st in the world, struggled to contain Morocco’s movement, yet the hosts failed to convert their dominance into a stronger scoreline.
Ayoub El Kaabi led the attack and created danger throughout the first hour, but he wasted several opportunities and missed a penalty in the 57th minute.
Youssef En-Nesyri replaced him and threatened immediately, yet he also fell short in front of goal when he failed to control a loose ball after an error from the visiting goalkeeper in the 68th minute.
The narrow result continues a recent trend of tight wins against sides considered less challenging.
Morocco edged Bahrain with a stoppage-time finish in October and found the breakthrough against Congo after the hour mark.
Their last victory by more than one goal came in September when they beat Zambia 2-0, shortly after a 5-0 win over Niger that sealed their qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
Regragui addressed concerns about efficiency during his post-match press conference.
He acknowledged the wastefulness in attack but reminded critics that his squad consistently find solutions, and they do so while maintaining their victory streak.
He insisted that he wants more convincing scorelines yet believes his players show the resilience required to prevail.
He noted the difficulty of facing teams who defend deep and challenge Morocco to break down compact structures.
He also expressed his frustration when El Kaabi missed the penalty, explaining that a second goal could have shaped the match differently.
Morocco continue their preparation for the AFCON they will host from 21 December to 18 January.
The Atlas Lions face Uganda in Tangier on Tuesday and intend to deliver a stronger statement.
🎙️Walid Regragui : “J’ai gagné 17 matchs consécutifs contre des blocs bas, donc j’ai trouvé la solution contre eux.”
Walid, on ne jouera des blocs bas qu’aux trois premiers matchs de la CAN. Le reste, ce sera face à de grandes équipes… pour lesquelles tu ne t’es pas vraiment… pic.twitter.com/Ba2iKY3S4i— KoraMaroc (@AtKoraMaroc) November 14, 2025
