Coach Walid Regragui downplays Morocco’s favorite Status for AFCON 2023
As the highly anticipated AFCON 2023 approaches, with Morocco being considered one of the favorites, coach Walid Regragui denies this label and emphasizes the challenging nature of the upcoming tournament. From January 11 to February 13, 2024, Côte d’Ivoire will host the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, featuring 23 African nations vying for the title.
Despite being a semi-finalist in the last World Cup, a historic achievement for Africa, Morocco faces high expectations as the current leading African nation.
However, Coach Walid Regragui remains calm and cautious, refusing to embrace the favorite status. In an interview with Canal+Afrique, he stated, «Morocco is considered a favorite when you decide it (laughs).
It’s true that as a coach, my previous statement caused a bit of a stir, saying that Morocco wasn’t the ultimate favorite».
Regragui acknowledged that, on paper, there are about 10 strong teams in contention, and Morocco is among them.
However, he expressed reservations about labeling Morocco as the ultimate favorite, particularly in an Africa Cup of Nations held in sub-Saharan Africa, where Maghreb countries have not historically excelled.
He highlighted the increased competitiveness of other teams and the post-World Cup scenario where many aspire to defeat Morocco.
While expressing the team’s ambition, Regragui emphasized the complexity of the upcoming competition, stating, «When I see the talent, it’s going to be one of the best AFCON in history».
Despite the ambition, he refrained from predicting victory or ensuring a spot in the semi-finals, recognizing the formidable challenge that lies ahead.
