Regragui Praises Super Eagles After Morocco’s AFCON 2025 Semi-final Win
Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has praised the Super Eagles of Nigeria following their hard-fought encounter in the semi-final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The match ended goalless after 90 minutes and was decided by penalties, with Morocco progressing to the final. Despite the win, Regragui acknowledged the quality and strength of the Nigerian team.
“They are an athletic team; they ran a lot,” Regragui said. “They had two shots, one of which was on target. It just goes to show we have been talking about defence for three years now.”
The Moroccan coach described Nigeria as a very solid side that made the game difficult for his players.
“We came up against a very solid team,” he said. “We closed down the angles of positioning and the transitions. It was tough, I won’t lie.”
Regragui also praised the fighting spirit shown by both teams and stressed the importance of discipline and organisation at this stage of the tournament.
“What interests me is self-esteem. It can be perceived as arrogance, but I don’t expect people to give me anything,” he added. “No one can erase what I’ve done before.”
While celebrating Morocco’s progress to the final, Regragui made it clear that Nigeria pushed his side to their limits and deserved respect for their performance in the semi-final.
