Between the Past of Regragui and the Aspirations of Wahbi .. Chemmami Optimistic About Morocco's Performance
Former Moroccan international Abdelwahed Chemmami recalled memories of the recent Africa Cup of Nations final held in Morocco, asserting that the "Atlas Lions" remain African champions as they await the outcome of the case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Chemmami, who was a guest on the "Working Session" program on Hespress, pointed out that the final was not solely determined by what happened on the pitch, explaining that external factors influenced the match and the tournament as a whole, and that the Moroccan team did not handle various phases of the decisive final well.
The former player specifically discussed the "towel incident," confirming that it distracted the players from the game, as their focus shifted more towards it than on the Senegalese team, negatively impacting the performance of the national players.
The former player emphasized that the responsibility of the coach and his staff lies in maintaining the players' focus, especially in finals where details can decide the outcome, noting that the technical staff should have brought the players back into the game and not allowed external factors to affect their concentration.
Regarding the penalty awarded to the Moroccan team, Chemmami considered it to be correct, but he felt that the way the "Atlas Lions" handled the situation was not up to standard, pointing out that the long stoppage following the penalty should have been an opportunity to regain focus, but the intervention of coach Walid Regragui and Ibrahim Diaz, along with what happened with Achraf Hakimi, contributed to the loss of concentration.
Hespress's guest questioned how Diaz handled the penalty, saying: "Did Diaz miss the penalty or did he intentionally waste it? God knows, we don't know," referring to the ambiguity surrounding that crucial moment of the final.
In evaluating Walid Regragui's tenure as head coach of the national team, the former international noted that the coach was not successful in managing the Africa Cup final, especially in dealing with the external factors surrounding the match, stressing that he got involved in altercations with players from the opposing teams.
Chemmami emphasized the need for the coach to maintain his focus and calm, noting that the Moroccan team's performance in the Qatar World Cup was the most convincing and enjoyable under his leadership, before it was followed by periods of inconsistency where the level of conviction declined; nevertheless, he stressed that Regragui is among the prominent coaches who have managed the national team and Moroccan clubs, given his career, experience, and the results he has achieved.
Chemmami also compared the national team's performance in the Qatar World Cup to the edition held in the United States, highlighting that the "Lions" reached the semifinals in the Qatar World Cup after achieving five victories, the same number of wins they had in the World Cup held in the USA, Mexico, and Canada where they reached the quarter-finals.
The former Moroccan international continued that experience has shown that teams achieving high levels in one World Cup often perform at a lower level in the next edition, indicating the difficulty of maintaining the same level and continuing to achieve good results in successive tournaments.
On another note, Chemmami felt that the Moroccan team appeared different in their match against France during the 2026 World Cup, as the players seemed "distracted," lacking the same enthusiasm to play as they showed in their matches against the Netherlands and Canada; while acknowledging the differences between the two matches, he stressed that this should not become a psychological burden, emphasizing the need to overcome the effects of the defeat against France and not allow it to be repeated in the future.
The former player concluded his remarks by discussing the transfers of Moroccan players after the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, noting that Morocco now has a large list of players competing at high levels in strong European leagues, which enhances the quality of options available for the Moroccan national team in the coming years.
