Morocco Coach Regragui Apologizes for AFCON Exit, Vows to Learn from Mistakes

"I apologize to the Moroccan supporters and I ask for their forgiveness, because we did not make them happy during the tournament," he said during his first media appearance after the elimination.

Regragui took responsibility for the defeat, acknowledging that he had made mistakes in his tactical choices. "There were certain details that we were missing from the start against Tanzania," he analyzed. "The match against Congo was difficult for both teams, we failed to kill the match with a second goal and we could have lost."

The coach has learned lessons from this experience and is committed to doing better at the next AFCON, which will be held in Morocco in 2024. "I have learned to avoid greeting the players after the matches to remove these conflicts from the environment of the Moroccan national team and maintain the group’s concentration," he confided. "Our main objective remains to win the next edition."

Despite the elimination, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation has renewed its confidence in Walid Regragui. "We are convinced that Regragui is the best coach to lead the national team to success," said a Federation spokesperson.

The Moroccan national team left the 2023 AFCON after a defeat against South Africa in the round of 16. The objective of winning the continental title was not achieved, but hope remains for the next edition to be held at home.