Morocco’s last triumph in the continental competition dates back 47 years, but with their recent achievement of reaching the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar last year, they have emerged as strong contenders to clinch the title in Ivory Coast.
“The more African competitions take place, the further away we get from the date when we won it.
“But that’s no reason to put pressure on ourselves. We’re going to go there to play our football, to give it the maximum, and, above all, not to have regrets,” said Regragui.
Having secured the cup in 1976, Morocco has only advanced to the final once, which occurred in 2004, resulting in a loss to hosts Tunisia.
In the most recent edition held in Cameroon in 2022, Morocco faced defeat in the quarter-finals against Egypt.
Regragui said, “What is important is the state of mind.
“We must go there with complete confidence to overcome the curse of the African Cup.”
Regragui has opted to maintain the core of his World Cup squad, which notably defeated Belgium, Spain, and Portugal before succumbing to a 2-0 loss against France in the semifinals. Key players like Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi, Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri, and Manchester United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat continue to be part of the team.
In an effort to strike a balance between the present and the future, Regragui has introduced emerging talents. Among them are PSV’s Ismael Saibari and Real Betis defender Chadi Riad, who clinched victory in this year’s Under-23 AFCON.
The Atlas Lions are slated to contend with DR Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia in the group stages as the tournament kicks off on January 13.
