Story byMorocco coach Walid Regragui gestures during a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations group victory over Zambia. (Gabriel BOUYS) (Gabriel BOUYS/AFP/AFP)AFPFri, January 16, 2026 at 5:32 AM UTC·3 min readRival 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final coaches in Rabat on Sunday, Walid Regragui of Morocco and Pape Thiaw of Senegal have both experienced the heartbreak of losing a title decider as players. Striker Thiaw was part of the Senegal squad that lost the 2002 AFCON final on penalties after a 0-0 draw with defending champions Cameroon. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementFull-back Regragui played in the following final, two years later, which Morocco lost 2-1 to hosts Tunisia. Senegal have played in two subsequent AFCON title deciders, losing to Algeria in 2019 and defeating Egypt on penalties three years later. But before the 2025 AFCON, Morocco never progressed beyond the quarter-finals in eight attempts since finishing runners-up in Tunisia. Regragui created history in 2022 when he coached Morocco to the World Cup semi-finals, shocking Belgium, Spain and Portugal en route. It was the first time an African or Arab nation had reached the last four in the quadrennial global showpiece. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWhat made the achievement more remarkable was Regragui had taken charge of the Atlas Lions just three months before the World Cup kicked off after Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic was sacked. Morocco mocked form and tradition by topping a group including Croatia and Belgium, then eliminated Spain on penalties and Portugal before falling to France. Based on their performances in Qatar, Morocco were overwhelming favourites to win the 2024 AFCON in the Ivory Coast. But after cruising to the round of 16, they came unstuck against South Africa.