AFCON 2023: Walid Regragui disappointed after South Africa’s upset

By: Alusine Rehme Wilson

Highly respected Moroccan coach Walid Regradui, 48, has expressed his disappointment over his team after they’re being knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 by South Africa on Tuesday. Beyond the expectations of many, the match which saw an enticingly competitive first half that ended goalless took a different turn in the 57th-minute forward Evidence Makgopa strike from the 18-yard box and slotted the ball into the right corner of the Atlas Lions igniting celebrations for the Bafana Bafana fans. The goal saw the Moroccan coach introducing new players to furnish his team’s attack adding pressure on the opponents until they won a penalty in the 83rd-minute when they were awarded a penalty after VAR review that found that the ball had hit the hand of Teboho Mokoena in the South African 18-yard box, but Morocco’s star man Achraf Hakimi thunderous strike from the penalty fly over the crossbar. After Hakimi failed to convert the penalty to a goal, South Africa doubled their search for a second goal, resulting in Morocco's Sofyan Amrabat being sent off by referee Mahamood Ishmail for a reckless challenge, and a free-kick awarded to Bafana Bafana. Without a doubt, 27-year-old determined Bafana Bafana forward Teboho Mokoena brilliantly took the free-kick which sealed his team’s 2-0 win over Morocco to easily progress to the quarterfinals where they will meet Cape Verde at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro this Saturday to continue their hunt for a second AFCON since their 1996 glory. However, 48-year-old Regradui whose team, Morocco was tipped as one of the favourites to win the on-going AFCON following their history made in the FIFA World Cup 2022 where they reached the semi-finals, becoming the first African nation to do so, became the fifth top ranked African team after Senegal, Tunisia and Egypt. For the 48-year-old coach, the defeat to Bafana Bafana is a disappointment to him and their supporters. “I’m disappointed for our supporters who deserved better. For myself, I felt we were supposed to win every match to win the AFCON but that didn’t happen. “Yes, we fought with all our might on the day, until the end we lost and our dream to clinch the 2023 AFCON title has come to a disappointing end. I hope my players, especially the younger ones will learn from this defeat to South Africa,” he advised.