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Regragui expects closely-contested final against Senegal

17 January 2026 08:34| © Backpage TXT
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Walid Regragui © Backpagepix

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui is focused on bringing unbridled joy to his people in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Sunday, 18 January.

Kick-off is at 9pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).

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CURRENT FORM: 

The Atlas Lions are looking to end a painful 50-year wait for the trophy, and this will be their best chance as the host nation with the backing of what should be a partisan crowd in Rabat.

Regragui's side produced a defensive masterclass against Nigeria in the semifinals, and they emerged 4-2 victors on penalties following a 0-0 draw after extra time, having limited the tournament's top scorers to just two shots in 120 minutes of football.

The North African giants, who made history in October 2025 by setting a new record for most consecutive wins (16), extended their unbeaten run to an astonishing 26 matches with the shootout triumph over the Super Eagles.

The two best defences will come face-to-face in the 2025 Afcon decider, with Morocco having conceded just one goal in their opening six matches and the Lions of Teranga shipping two.

Pape Thiaw's side had to dig deep to beat Egypt 1-0 in the last four after the Pharaohs adopted a very defensive mindset and managed just three attempts at goal.

The 2021 Afcon champions also eliminated Mali by the same scoreline in the quarterfinals, but they showed their attacking prowess earlier in the tournament after putting three goals past each of Sudan, Benin and Botswana.

WHAT WAS SAID:

Senegal head coach Pape Thiaw on Sadio Mane: "The only thing I know is that we need him, Senegal needs him. That's what he showed again against Egypt.

"Let's hope we'll have more years with him. A gentleman like Sadio Mane, you don't find one all the time. We have to make the most of it. I hope this won't be his last final."

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui on facing Senegal: "It's a superb final with the best African teams of the last three years. A fantastic team and a golden people, brothers of Morocco. It's a superb match-up.

"It's a fifth-to-fifth tie. It's the first time we've faced them in a final. The most important thing is that Morocco is in the final. I need to focus on bringing it home together."

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Senegal - Sadio Mane announced ahead of the final that this will be his last Afcon. The 33-year-old winger underlined his importance to the team by scoring the winner against Egypt to set up a first-ever meeting with Morocco at the continental showpiece. It was his second goal of the tournament after Mane scored in the 1-1 draw with DR Congo during the group stages, and his Afcon tally now stands at 11 goals.

Morocco - Brahim Diaz has been the star of the show on home soil, scoring in each of his team's opening five games to set a new Afcon record. The 26-year-old winger leads the race for the Golden Boot and looked the most likely to score against Nigeria in the semifinals before he ran out of gas and had to be substituted in extra time.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: (Last Five Matches)

Matches - 5

Senegal wins - 1

Morocco wins -4

Draws - 0

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