Morocco’s Early AFCON Exit Sparks Criticism of Coach Walid Regragui

These attack campaigns are in contradiction between what they say in the event of good results of the Moroccan team and what they spread in the event of a decline in results, analyzes Mourad Bentouk in an interview with Alayam24. According to his explanations, when the national team suffers a setback or a defeat, or when its performance is not up to the expectations of the public, the coach is singled out and should be changed. On the other hand, when the Atlas Lions achieve good performances, these exploits are attributed to the good management of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and its training policy. The researcher in the sports field believes that there are several important factors and circumstances in determining the strength and effectiveness of a football team.

Bentouk notes that the decline of the Moroccan team under Regragui’s leadership began since the defeat against the French team in the semi-finals of the World Cup in Qatar. He explains that the coach of the Atlas Lions had adopted a defensive strategy based on a strong defense and excellent goal preservation during the World Cup matches. He is also surprised by the change in the game strategy that proved its effectiveness by a new strategy against France in the semi-finals. According to him, the change in the Moroccan technician’s game strategy was due to the pressures and criticisms that accused him of not playing football, that his game was outdated and that he relied solely on defense. Regragui may have encountered a problem in adopting the open game instead of what he mastered in terms of defensive strategy, and therefore he was confused in moving from a defensive strategy to an open game that requires time to build a new coherent team with the new game strategy, he continued.

Regarding the rumors about Regragui’s dismissal to be replaced by French technician Hervé Renard who says he is open to the idea of representing a different country, or not at the 2026 World Cup, Bentouk assures that "there is no problem in changing the coach if it proves that he is no longer able to contribute to the team, provided that we turn to another national framework and not the recruitment of a foreign coach, given that the national technician has proven his competence and ability to achieve important exploits."