Walid Regragui reveals secrets behind Morocco’s historic 2022 World Cup run and Wydad success

Former Morocco national team coach Walid Regragui has reflected on the defining moments of his coaching career, opening up about the historic 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign with the Atlas Lions and his successful spell in charge of Wydad Casablanca.

Speaking during an appearance on “The Coaches’ Voice” platform, Regragui explained that his decision to take charge of the Moroccan national team was driven by ambition and a belief that the squad had the quality to compete against the world’s best, rather than simply participating in the World Cup.

The Moroccan tactician revealed that from the beginning of his tenure, he set a clear objective: to make a deep run at the tournament.

“I did not take the national team job just to go to the World Cup. I wanted to compete at the highest level,” Regragui explained, adding that he had confidence in the quality and potential of the Moroccan players.

However, he admitted that the biggest obstacle was the limited preparation time before the tournament in Qatar. With only around three months before the opening match, Regragui had to quickly rebuild the team structure, recall certain players, form his technical staff, establish a clear identity and implement his tactical philosophy.

Despite the challenges, Morocco quickly developed a strong mentality and defensive organisation that became the foundation of their historic campaign.

Regragui identified the opening group-stage match against Croatia as a key moment in the tournament. The Atlas Lions secured a valuable draw against the 2018 World Cup finalists, a result that gave the players belief and confidence heading into the remaining matches.

The victory over Belgium was another turning point, as Morocco’s players began to believe that they could achieve something extraordinary on the global stage.

Regragui stressed that reaching the knockout stage was never considered the final objective. After qualifying from the group, he challenged his players to create history by defeating Spain in the round of 16.

He then set an even bigger target — becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup semi-finals by overcoming Portugal in the quarter-finals.

According to Regragui, the Moroccan team understood the importance of their journey and the responsibility they carried as representatives of both Morocco and the African continent.

He revealed that he constantly reminded the players that they were part of a special generation that would be remembered forever by Moroccan and African football supporters.

The former coach also admitted that he believed Morocco had the ability to go beyond the semi-final stage. Before facing France, the players entered the match with the belief that reaching the final was possible after eliminating some of the strongest teams in the world.

Although Morocco eventually lost 2-0 to France in the semi-finals, Regragui believes the biggest achievement was not only reaching that stage but changing the mentality of Moroccan football.

He explained that the World Cup campaign proved to players and fans that Morocco could compete with the world’s elite teams, describing that psychological transformation as the greatest legacy of the tournament.

Regragui’s Wydad experience

Regragui also reflected on his time managing Wydad Casablanca, describing the club as a crucial chapter in his development as a coach.

He praised Wydad as the biggest club in Morocco, highlighting the quality of its players, the club’s winning culture and the passion of its supporters.

According to Regragui, coaching Wydad comes with unique pressure because there is little time to build a long-term project. The expectation is immediate success, with victory required in every match.

He explained that this environment helped him grow as a coach, teaching him how to handle pressure, manage expectations and maintain a winning mentality.

Regragui also paid tribute to Wydad’s supporters, describing the atmosphere created by the club’s fans as one of the best in the world. He noted that their passion and constant support provide players with extra motivation to perform at the highest level.

His achievements with Wydad during the 2021-2022 season played a major role in his rise to the national team position. Under his leadership, the club won both the Botola Pro League title and the CAF Champions League.

Regragui believes that his experience with Wydad helped build the mentality and confidence that later guided Morocco to their historic World Cup achievement — becoming the first African and Arab team to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup.