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Regragui’s leadership made him a national hero after Morocco’s national team made history in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The Moroccan national football team’s head coach Walid Regragui took home today the Coach of the Year award during the 2023 CAF Awards ceremony held in Marrakech on Monday.
Coming ahead of Senegalese coach Aliou Cisse and Algerian Abdelhak Benchikha, Regragui was lauded for his historic achievement with the Atlas Lions in the 2022 World Cup, advancing the team for the first time to the semi-finals.
“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to His Majesty the King for his visionary support. I owe everything to the players, for without their dedication, none of this would have been possible,” Regragui said in his acceptance speech.
“Thank you for believing in us throughout our World Cup campaign. And lastly, I want to express my profound appreciation to my wife and children for their unwavering support,” he added.
Under the leadership of 48-year-old coach Regragui, Morocco’s national team made history by reaching the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup, marking the first-ever such achievement of an African and Arab team.
Regragui joined the national team only five months before the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, leaving his post at Wydad AC.
Under his guidance, the team secured wins against Chile and Georgia in pre-tournament friendlies. The team’s impressive performance continued during the group stage, where they scored more wins against Belgium and Canada, while also managing a draw against Croatia to qualify top of their group.
During the knockout rounds, Morocco’s astounding run included an impressive penalty shootout victory over Spain in the Round of 16 and a stunning 1-0 win against Portugal in the quarter-finals.