Would Regragui Have Resigned if Morocco Had Won the Africa Cup of Nations From the Start?

CAF stripped Senegal of the AFCON title and awarded it to Morocco months later. But an inevitable question arises: would Walid Regragui have resigned if the championship had been won on the pitch from the start?

The controversial final that changed the champion

The Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal turned into one of the most chaotic episodes in recent African football history.

The match, played in Rabat, featured several controversial refereeing decisions, including a disallowed goal for Senegal and a late penalty awarded to Morocco. Tensions escalated to the point where Senegal’s players temporarily walked off the pitch in protest.

After the match resumed, Brahim Díaz missed the penalty, and the game eventually went to extra time, where Pape Gueye scored the goal that secured the title for Senegal.

However, the story did not end there. Weeks later, following an appeal from the Moroccan federation, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) reviewed the case and concluded that Senegal’s temporary walk-off constituted a serious breach of the tournament regulations.

The result was officially changed to 3–0 in favor of Morocco, awarding them the continental title months after the final.

If Morocco had won that same night

The biggest question raised by CAF’s ruling is not only about the trophy, but about the future that might have been different.

Because by the time the decision arrived, Walid Regragui had already resigned as Morocco’s head coach.

The manager, who famously led Morocco to the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, stepped down after the intense pressure that followed losing the final of a tournament hosted on home soil.

But the scenario would have looked completely different if Morocco had secured the title on the pitch that very night.

Winning the continental trophy at home would have immediately changed the narrative. Instead of criticism and doubts, Regragui’s project would likely have been strengthened, cementing his status as the coach who brought Morocco back to the top of African football.

The impact it could have had before the World Cup

Winning AFCON on the field would have meant much more than just lifting a trophy.

For Morocco, it would have confirmed that the momentum created after the historic 2022 World Cup run was still moving forward.

Regragui would have entered the 2026 World Cup as the reigning African champion, carrying significantly more authority within the national team project.

The champion who no longer has a coach

CAF’s decision created one of those paradoxes that only football can produce.

Today, in the official records, Walid Regragui is listed as the coach who led Morocco to the African title. Yet when that victory was confirmed, he was no longer in charge.

The trophy arrived, but it came too late to change the direction of his project.

Meanwhile, the case may not be over. According to reactions reported in international media, the Senegalese federation is considering taking the dispute to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which could prolong the legal battle for months.