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Rabat – Morocco coach Walid Regragui has urged players, journalists, and fans to stop focusing on refereeing controversies in African football, stressing that constant debate over officiating damages the game and distracts from the real work being done on the pitch.
In his press conference before the Nigeria game, Regragui said, “Talking about refereeing is bad. We are in a beautiful continent, there is a lot of work being done, and some people imagine we win matches thanks to referees.”
He explained that refereeing debates are common everywhere, not only in Africa, and insisted that journalists should concentrate on their role of analyzing matches rather than fueling endless arguments. “A penalty is given in one match and not in another. That is football,” he added.
Regragui pointed to several examples involving Morocco. He recalled the penalty awarded against Tanzania, which sparked debate about the physical differences between players, and noted that similar incidents in England would not be called.
He also mentioned situations in matches against Mali and Cameroon, where fouls on Moroccan players, such as Bilal El Khannouss and Abde Ezzalzouli, were ignored despite clear contact. “If VAR had been used properly, those decisions would have been different,” he said.
Despite these frustrations, Regragui stressed that his focus remains on preparing his squad. “I only talk to my players about the pitch and winning matches. You will never hear me complain about referees, even after our elimination in Côte d’Ivoire. We must help referees, not attack them,” he concluded.
His comments come ahead of Morocco’s match with Nigeria on Wednesday at 9 p.m, where he hopes to continue the team’s journey and deliver the long-awaited trophy that Moroccan fans have been dreaming of since 1976.
