Morocco coach Walid Regragui expressed deep anguish after his team fell 1–0 to Senegal in extra time in the Africa Cup of Nations final, a defeat he described as one of the most painful moments of his tenure.
The hosts, playing in front of a packed Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, pushed Senegal to the limit in a tightly contested match that remained deadlocked through regular time before the Teranga Lions found the decisive breakthrough early in extra time.
The setback overshadowed what had been a strong tournament for several Moroccan players.
Brahim Díaz finished as the competition’s top scorer with five goals and received the Golden Boot from FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou was named Best Goalkeeper after conceding just two goals throughout the tournament, and Morocco also secured the Fair Play Award.
Meanwhile, Senegal’s Sadio Mané was named Player of the Tournament, and CAF President Patrice Motsepe formally handed over the CAF flag to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, co-hosts of the 2027 edition.
Regragui, visibly shaken during the post-match press conference, said the defeat was “very, very hard,” adding that football “is often cruel.”
Alongside the final result, he highlighted the blow of losing forward Hamza Igamane, who suffered a suspected torn ACL late in the match. “It was balanced, 50-50 in possession and shots,” he said. “For the Moroccan people, this is heartbreaking. We have never been this close to winning a second Africa Cup.”
The coach firmly defended Brahim Díaz, who missed a late penalty in regulation time that could have secured the title. He criticized the long delay before the kick, arguing that it unsettled the striker and blaming Senegal coach Pape Thiaw for contributing to the disruption.
“What happened was not classy,” he said. “There was too much time before the penalty, and it destabilized him. But we will assume the fact that Brahim missed.”
Regragui described an emotional scene in the dressing room, saying several players were in tears after coming within a penalty of lifting the trophy. He also took personal responsibility for the defeat, telling reporters: “We lost, and it’s the coach’s fault.” Still, he insisted Morocco would recover, praising his squad’s resilience and insisting the group would return stronger.
“This requires time, humility, work,” he said. “Senegal is a model with three finals in four editions.”
