Morocco coach hails quality of Africa Cup semifinalists, says fewer upsets likely in future

Regragui’s team reached the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup but disappointed at the last Africa Cup in Ivory Coast. It is under huge pressure to win the tournament as host and end a 50-year wait since Morocco won its only Africa Cup title in 1976.

Morocco, which will be a co-host for the 2030 World Cup, has embarked on a huge spending spree to modernize playing facilities, stadiums and infrastructure in the kingdom, deepening the sense of expectation among the Moroccan public, many of whom have deep reservations about the scale of the investment.

But Regragui can only focus on the field, where he expects an exhibition on Wednesday with the continent’s best teams and players competing in ideal conditions.

“Good stadiums, good playing fields, good climate, and I think the players you should have in the semifinals: Salah, Ballon d’Or, Hakimi, Ballon d’Or, Lookman, Ballon d’Or, Osimhen, Ballon d’Or, Mané, Ballon d’Or,” Regragui said, referring to all the African Footballer of the Year awards they had won. “It means we have practically the best African players of recent years.”

He added that Nigeria had reached the final 17 times, “Egypt always gets a ticket, they’re always there,” and 2021 winner Senegal has been one of the best, “if not the best,” teams in Africa in recent years.

Regragui said the level of soccer being played is at its highest because of the cool conditions of North Africa in winter.

“In the last Africa Cup (in Ivory Coast) we played the Democratic Republic of Congo, when they made us play at 1.30 p.m. in 40 degrees Celsius heat (104 F) with 80% humidity. It’s certainly more difficult to win a match,” Regragui said. “Today we’ve given conditions for the best teams to play their best football.”

The temperature in San Pedro, Ivory Coast was actually 32 degrees C (90 F) when the match Regragui referred to started.

Regragui predicted that better conditions will lead to bigger clashes between evenly matched teams and that there will be fewer upsets with more spectacle instead.

“We will be able to sell rights abroad, we will give a better show of our continent, and I will be the happiest of coaches then as a pro-African because that is what we want, our continent, our football to be respected, even if it is not always perfect,” Regragui said. “We are moving in the right direction, and I hope there will be goals in these two semifinals, that there will be a spectacle to showcase our continent.”

On the eve of the tournament, the Confederation of African Football announced the Africa Cup will be switching to a four-year cycle from 2028. That decision has been criticized by coaches at the tournament, but it brings it tournament into line with FIFA's calendar.

AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations