The coach of Morocco’s national team, Walid Regragui has issued a veiled boast that his team does need assistance from referees to help them defeat Nigeria in Wednesday’s semi-final clash at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in his country.
Sports247 reports that the Moroccan tactician insists his side is good enough not only to beat Nigeria on Wednesday but also win Sunday’s final against either Senegal or Egypt.
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Regragui boasted, “We’re the team to beat. As the team to beat, people will try to find all sorts of reasons to say Morocco has an advantage.”
He also ruled out insinuations that referees are favouring the North African country with biased calls in order to ensure they are compensated for being dutiful hosts.
Morocco have hosted many sports activities at continental and global levels in recent years, hence inferences that Confederation of African Football (CAF) would love to compensate them with the AFCON 2025 trophy.
Speculation in that direction appeared to get flesh when some calls that could have gone against his team were overlooked by refs, including an apparent penalty that Tanzania appeared to deserve in added time during the round of 16.
Side talk is now rising high ahead of Morocco’s potentially decisive semi-final clash with Nigeria, which many observers believe will be the hosts’ toughest game so far in this year’s competition.
The Eagles will face a partisan crowd at the 70,000-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, which many analysts believe holds an intimidating atmosphere for players in opposing teams as well as for CAF officials and match referees.
However, Regragui insisted that the only advantage his team will have would be from their cheering supporters and ruled out any form of assistance from match officials to help the hosts win AFCON 2025.
“Many people want to believe or make others believe that we have advantages from the referees. As for the referees, I never talk about the referee,” Regragui stated curtly.
He then declared emphatically that his team is playing well and stressed that they can hold their own against any opposition that comes their way, even as he admitted that the best squad should end up winning the ongoing competition in his country.
“We’re trying to play on that field. The statistics always show us as better than the others. We create far more opportunities than our opponents.
“I don’t think it’s fair play from those who want to see us fall. The best team will win this tournament, inshallah,” the Moroccan gaffer concluded.
