RABAT, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's head coach Walid Regragui carries the weight of expectation on home soil as his side plays the round-of-16 duel against Tanzania at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.
The former Morocco international, who led the Atlas Lions to the semifinals at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, has the task of delivering Morocco's first AFCON title since 1976 in front of a nation that places great hopes on him.
Speaking to the press ahead of the clash against Tanzania, the 50-year-old was quite cautious, saying that progress at the AFCON will depend as much on humility as on talent.
"Past failures offer a lesson, everyone says Morocco must win, or it's a failure. My job is to remind the players why Morocco hasn't won the AFCON for 50 years. Too often, we lacked humility," he said.
Playing in front of more than 66,000 spectators at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium poses big pressure for the hosts. For Regragui, the nature of a knockout match is unpredictable. "It's like a national cup competition, there are always surprises. It's up to us to handle the course of the match seriously."
At the start of the tournament, Regragui faced criticism and issued an apology on social media after the 1-1 draw against Mali, which ended a 19-match winning streak for the Atlas Lions.
The coach is aware that the expectations are immense, so is the belief.
"We will have to win the AFCON. We have progressed, rejuvenated the team, we are arriving with a good state of mind," Regragui noted.
"This pressure is not just on me as the head coach but also on the players. It's a big responsibility, but it's one we accept with pride," he added.
The 2025 AFCON marked Regragui's second time competing in the African finals as Morocco's head coach. At the 2023 edition in Cote d'Ivoire, Morocco was knocked out by South Africa in the round of 16.
Under his leadership, the Atlas Lions became the first African team in history to reach the World Cup semifinals. ■
