Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has spoken of his deep disappointment after the Atlas Lions suffered a painful defeat to Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Regragui, who was visibly emotional after the match admitted the loss was difficult to accept, especially given how close Morocco came to lifting the trophy.
“It’s very hard, I won’t lie to you. We didn’t even have a minute to be African champions,” he said, describing football as “often cruel”.
The final was a nerve cracker, with both sides matching each other boot for boot for long periods. Regragui compared the game to a boxing fight, where small details decided the winner.
“It was a bit like a boxing match,” he explained. “We were equal in possession, shots and chances. In a final, it’s about the details and you have to take your chances.”
“Morocco came close to scoring, hitting the bar and missing a penalty, but in the final moments, things went against them.
“In the end, it’s like a movie, with a penalty at the last second,” Regragui said. “It’s very painful for the Moroccan people.”
The coach pointed to the late penalty as the turning point in the final.
“We gave away the penalty and everything changed,” he added.
The defeat was made even harder by the sense of how close Morocco were to ending a long wait for continental glory.
“It breaks our hearts, because I don’t think we’ve ever been this close to winning the Africa Cup,” Regragui admitted.
“But congratulations to Senegal. They deserve their title.”
By: Pascal Amoah
