Rabat: Morocco’s head coach Walid Regragui did not hide his frustration after the Africa Cup of Nations final, won Sunday in Rabat by Senegal (1-0 AET), acknowledging that football can sometimes be tough. “It’s very hard. Football is sometimes cruel. In a final, you have to seize every scoring opportunity. The match unfolded in a way that could have given us the title,” Regragui said during the post-match press conference.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, Regragui expressed that the game was balanced and well organized, but it took a different turn during extra time. Despite the players’ efforts, the team had to accept defeat. After a missed penalty in the final minute, he lamented that everything turned against them and noted that the national team had never been closer to an AFCON title than now.

Regragui promised that the group will come back stronger and congratulated Senegal on their victory. He acknowledged the missed opportunity, both for the team and personally, and expressed hope for the young generation to learn from the experience. He mentioned the loss of Igamane, who finished the match with ten men, possibly due to a cruciate ligament injury that might sideline him for months. Regragui hoped for a better outcome from medical tests.

He also commented that the image shown during the final did not honor African football and pointed out that the several-minute suspension of the match distracted Diaz, the team’s primary penalty taker.