Walid Regragui: Every Match is a Final Test

National coach Walid Regragui stated on Monday evening that a new competition begins for the Atlas Lions, who qualified for the Round of 16 in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after defeating Zambia 3-0, noting that every match from now on will be like a final.

“Everything is possible from the next round. Each match will be a final. We will show the same humility to advance in this competition,” Regragui said at a press conference following the match.

“We wanted to stay in Rabat. The crowd was fantastic. We secured the victory thanks to them. After the match against Mali, it was important for us to progress. When you score early, the game becomes easier,” he analyzed.

Regarding the changes made compared to previous matches, the national coach emphasized the importance of adapting for each game, pointing out that Anas Salaheddine had a minor issue with his adductor, while Sofiane Amrabat was suffering from a slight ankle injury.

“Things are never set in stone. We will need everyone,” he insisted.

“AFCON has always been tough. The group stage allowed us to rotate the squad, but now it’s a new challenge,” Regragui noted, emphasizing that despite the victory, “the team must keep its feet on the ground.”

For his part, Ayoub El Kaabi, named Man of the Match, assured that the Moroccan team was expecting a tough confrontation against Zambia.

“I thank the Moroccan public who supports us under all conditions. The main thing is the victory. We will rest before thinking about the next match in the Round of 16,” El Kaabi stated, having scored three goals in this AFCON-2025.

Commenting on his second goal, a spectacular overhead kick during this AFCON, the Moroccan striker playing for the Greek club Olympiacos highlighted that “the most important thing is to score goals and help the team succeed, even though I’m delighted to score in such a fashion.”

With their victory against Zambia, Morocco topped the group stage with 7 points.