Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has praised the incredible backing from the fans after his side booked their place in the final of the 2025 AFCON on Wednesday night, SportPremi reports.
The Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat was in full capacity for their semifinal clash against Nigeria, which they won on penalties to advance to the final.
The crowd was constantly in support of the team, while the Super Eagles received a hostile reception in the heavyweight last four clash.
The Atlas Lions have played all of their six matches at the same stadium and will now return to the venue for Sunday’s final.
Wednesday night’s encounter proved more difficult than in previous matches, with Nigeria much more solid defensively despite offering very little in attack.
The game finished goalless after 120 minutes, requiring penalties to determine the winner of the semifinal clash.
Both nations scored the first and missed their second spot-kicks, before Yaccine Bounou saved Nigeria’s fourth – taken by Bruno Onyemaechi.
Youssef En-Nesyri then stepped up and converted the decisive penalty shootout to send Morocco into the final of the competition.
It marked a second consecutive final appearance for the host nation, following Ivory Coast’s 2-1 win over Nigeria in the 2023 edition.
Regragui reacts to victory over Nigeria
Walid Regragui, who guided the Atlas Lions to a first semifinal in 22 years and could become the first AFCON-winning coach for the country since 1976, praised the massive support the supporters have shown the team.
“I thank everyone who supported us. We received very touching messages, and they had a big impact on us. I thank our players—we are very proud of them—and I also thank the Moroccan fans who truly deserve this achievement”, the Atlas Lions coach said.
The 50-year-old expressed satisfaction over his side’s performance, but urged them to focus on making history in Sunday’s final.
“We suffered a lot, and reaching the Africa Cup of Nations final on home soil is a beautiful gift. Now we must think about physical recovery quickly because we made a huge effort. We played extra time, the match was difficult, and it consumed a lot of energy.”
The Morocco coach also applauded the Super Eagles for a wonderful performance in their semifinal encounter.
“I congratulate the Nigerian national team and coach Eric Chelle for the great work they have done, and I congratulate our players and fans as well, because we all fought together without exception”, Regragui concluded.
Morocco will battle Senegal for a shot at glory in the final of the 2025 African Cup of Nations tournament on Sunday.
