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Rabat – Head coach Walid Regragui said that his focus goes primarily to Morocco, emphasizing that the Atlas Lions do not play for, or represent, Arabs at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Regragui made his remarks in a pre-match press conference on Monday, on the eve of Morocco’s match against South Africa which will take place today at 9 p.m. Moroccan time.
In response to a question about Egypt’s exit from the African tournament, and its relevance as the last North African-Arab country, Regagui said that the defeat does not interest him.
“It’s not something that interests me… I am not going to express myself in Arabic, because my Arabic… I just don’t want to be misinterpreted…,” he continued. “Everyone has their way. Of course, they are our brothers and we are disappointed about their defeat, but we are also happy for DR Congo,” he said.
He added that his strategy is focused on Morocco.
“We don’t have a flag that represents or says that we are playing for Arabs. We are representing Morocco. It’s an African competition,” he added.
Regragui’s comment was met with criticism, with many news outlets suggesting that these remarks will create a gap among Arab fans rooting for Morocco.
The Atlas Lions are facing Bafana Bafana tonight, in a decisive game that will determine the fate of both teams in the competition.
The game will take place at 9 p.m. Moroccan time at the San Pedro stadium in Cote d’Ivoire.. The winner will move to the quarterfinals to compete against Cape Verde.
Predicting website Opta Analyst believes Morocco’s national team has a 56.1% chance of winning today’s game.
On the other hand, the Bafana Bafana team received a 22.2% winning rate, with a 21.7% chance the game will go into overtime and penalties.
