Morocco Aims To Write History After Reaching AFCON Semis Under Regragui

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Morocco moved into the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Cameroon, matching their best win record in a single AFCON edition and reviving hopes of a first title since 1976. Head coach Walid Regragui praised both players and supporters, while Cameroon coach David Pagou focused on the potential of a young squad despite elimination.

Brahim Diaz opened the scoring once again for Morocco, continuing an impressive individual tournament, before Ismael Saimari settled the result with a second-half strike. The Atlas Lions will now meet either Algeria or Nigeria in the semi-finals, as the hosts chase another final appearance two decades after their last run to the showpiece.

This is Morocco’s first appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals since 2004, when the team also progressed to the final. On that occasion, Morocco were beaten by Tunisia and could not add to their only AFCON crown, which arrived in 1976, making the current campaign a chance to end a long continental title wait.

Across this tournament, Morocco have won four of five matches, drawing the other game, giving Regragui’s side their joint-highest win tally in a single Africa Cup of Nations edition. That record had only been achieved twice before, in 1976 and 2004, underlining how this run compares with the country’s strongest AFCON performances.

Regragui highlighted the influence of the home crowd and called for continued discipline from the squad, stressing that opponents are highly motivated against the hosts. The coach underlined that Morocco must stay grounded, even while recognising the significance of reaching a stage that had eluded the team for 20 years.

"I want to thank the players and the fans," he said. "It truly felt like we were playing with 12 players on the pitch. Qualifying for the semi-finals is well deserved, and the players earned it. Our players gave everything, and when they stay focused, things go well. I am very happy with what they showed. We must remain humble because every team wants to beat us, and we must respect all our opponents. Since 2004, Morocco had not reached the semi-finals, and now we are aiming to write history."

Cameroon’s exit continues a difficult trend in Africa Cup of Nations knockout matches. The team have now lost two of their last three knockout ties, winning the other, which matches the number of defeats from their previous nine such fixtures, when they recorded four wins and three draws, reflecting a drop in recent elimination-round results.

Against Morocco, Cameroon struggled to create clear chances, producing only five attempts and failing to register a single shot on target against Yassine Bounou. Their attacking efforts were reflected in an expected goals figure of 0.4, while defensively they extended an unwanted run of conceding in four straight AFCON knockout games, allowing eight goals in that span.

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Head coach David Pagou focused on development within the group, pointing to the number of players experiencing major continental competition for the first time. Pagou suggested that, although results were disappointing, the experiences gained at this Africa Cup of Nations could support longer-term growth as Cameroon seek to rebuild their knockout strength.

"I am proud of my players. We competed well against Morocco, and we leave the tournament with our heads held high," he said. "We faced some difficulties, but we came back well in the second half. The second goal we conceded decided the match. Overall, I am satisfied with the performance. We have a young and new squad, and the players deserve credit for their efforts for the Cameroonian people. There is a bright future for our young players, many of whom are playing in continental competition for the first time. We have learned many lessons and leave the tournament with a lot of positives."

Morocco now stand one match away from a return to the Africa Cup of Nations final, with Algeria or Nigeria blocking their path. The hosts enter the semi-finals with strong form, historical context and a clear objective, while Cameroon depart reflecting on a shortfall in results but also greater experience for a young group at AFCON level.