Atlas Lions of Morocco coach Walid Regragui has said Nigeria’s Super Eagles and other top African teams that did not feature at the Qatar 2022 World Cup will be a handful at next year’s AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire.
Morocco made history at the 2022 World Cup by becoming the first African team to reach the semi-final in the history of the tournament.
Regragui‘s men overcame football heavyweights like Belgium, Portugal, Spain to get to the last four.
Following his team’s impressive outing in Qatar, there are talks Morocco are the favourites for the 2023 AFCON.
Regragui also supported this believe but has quickly backtracked on his statement.
According to him, teams like Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt and Côte d’Ivoire who failed to be in Qatar will be dangerous.
“I made a big mistake during the World Cup. I said ‘We can win everything, if we are not King of the Africa we cannot be Kings of the world’ and after some time I came back to earth,” the 48-year-old was quoted on the X handle of CAF media officer Ibrahim Daara.
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“I think it will be very difficult for us to win the AFCON, we will not be favourites. The nations that did not experience the World Cup [2022] scare me more. But for us, in sub-Saharan Africa, it has always been complicated for Morocco.
“I don’t even know if we’ve ever been to the semi-final in our history but maybe. We have only won one African Cup in our history.
“The last time we made a semi-final I think I was a player, I had hair. I apologize to the Moroccan people because I said that if we did not make at least the semi-final [in Ivory Coast] I would leave the national team myself. But I think that today there are better teams than Morocco on the continent.”
Morocco’s only AFCON title win was at the 1976 edition in Ethiopia.
The last time they got to the final was in 2004 in Tunisia where they lost 2-1 to the hosts.
They are in Group F at next year’s tournament with DR Congo, Zambia and Tanzania.
11 Comments
Don’t be wary, Nigeria don’t have any swag or threat. Just past glory.
Okay – It is your ghana that have swag or threat abi? heehehe – yeye man ordinary mexico wiped you all 2-nil just yesterday and you’re already here running your moronic mouth – typical ghanain, glutton for punishment! tehehehe
So now anybody talking against super chicken is now a Ghanaian abi. Mexico only beat us in a friendly.lt wasn’t a competitive match. Whether u like it or not u are Super Chickens and u have been behaving as such heheehehehehehe
I know you are not talking of past glory. When was the last time Ghana won anything? Over 40 years ago.., before you were even born..
This guy dey whine us…..it is well
Presh who are you to rule that Super Eagles haven’ t any threat against other countries?, this is Regrsgui himself admitted of SE force, SE in any FCON. across passing of history have been monopoling semi-final , this has happened in more than seven times, so his evaluation in his right sight; Presh you do not know football and you don’t evaluate the big teams, SE always have merit and exprience to reach semi-final or to hold the cup, so Regragui warned on SE.
He is saying the truth.. u only needed someone that has foresight to know how strong the eagles could be … Assuming all those balls missed during Saudi game went into the net ..I m sure Saudi would have sacked their coach … The 2 2 score wasn’t a reflection of how strong the eagles are . Saudi could have been another saotome. For today game the Mozambique guys wil stil sit back to defend their goal .. and henceforth any game involving the eagles wil be one sided
The eagles shud allow their opponent to breath otherwise the Tunisian experience await Dem .
Not with the likes of Chukwueze in that team. He needs to do something urgent about his plays and if he does not improve, he will lose his place in his AC Milan club and Super Eagles. In fact he’s had a very long rope and by now, he should no longer be in the national team. He is overrated…..Same with Lookman, UZOHO and the rest of the personnels at the goal keeping department.
Truth be told, if not for that one howler, Uzoho had a fair game against the Saudis. He even made a crucial save to deny the Saudis a goal.
However, that howler ruined everything. And it reminded fans of the other costly howler. The one against Ghana that ensured our absence at the mundial. So the anger of fans is quite understandable.
Uzoho should calm down, and take this chance that he’s been given. He has to earn the trust of fans all over again, and it begins today.
This would have been a good game for the likes of Orban and Tella.
Anyway, let’s see what the selected guys can do. Fisayo Dele Bash in particular is a guy many will be watching closely.
I stopped cheering for Morocco the moment one of the players stated that they are Arabs and they want nothing to do with Africa and I have nothing to do with Arabs I request of you to stop coverage of Arab countries or if you are ashamed to be Black and African please don’t waste my time
Please can you share that commentary so you don’t seem to be sharing false and malicious information? A link is good enough.