We win on the pitch": Walid Regragui responds to accusations of favoritism

The victory was clear, the domination unshared. For 90 minutes, Morocco monopolized the ball and anesthetized the Cameroonian attack, which did not have the slightest real scoring chance. Yet, a controversial action in the second half - a contact between Adam Masina and Bryan Mbeumo in the box - was enough to ignite a fuse.

"It’s very, very blatant," fumed the Cameroonian striker after the match, feeling he had been deprived of a penalty. A controversy that Walid Regragui brushed aside, visibly annoyed by the little tune that accompanies the host country’s journey.

"The only advantage is to play in front of 65,000 people"

"Since the start of the competition, we know where people want to take Morocco," said the coach, refusing the label of the team favored by the whistles. For him, the reality is statistical and tactical: "We win on the pitch. The statistics always make us better than the others. We create a lot more opportunities."

Regragui used a scathing metaphor to describe the situation: "When you want to kill your dog, you say it has rabies. We are the team to beat, so we’ll try to find all the good reasons to say that Morocco is favored."

For the national coach, the only privilege of the Atlas Lions is the unconditional support of the Moulay Abdellah stadium: "The only advantage for Morocco is to play in front of 65,000 spectators. The rest, we talk on the pitch." A firm clarification before tackling an explosive semi-final against Nigeria or Algeria.