Rabat – Walid Regragui, coach of Morocco’s national football team, has pledged strong determination and sense of purpose as the Atlas Lions prepare for their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) round of 16 match against Tanzania on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, ahead of the round of 16 match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Complex in Rabat, Regragui said: “We have no option but to win in order to continue our journey in this tournament. Tomorrow we will face the Tanzanian team, whom we know very well, given that we have met more than once in recent years.”

The national coach emphasized his respect for Tanzania, praising their experience and quality. “We respect Tanzania, who play good football and have experienced players. We have prepared well for this match to avoid any surprises,” he explained.

Regragui also underlined his team’s philosophy of taking one match at a time. “We are discussing one match at a time, and we hope to achieve victory tomorrow to qualify for the quarter-finals, final,” he said.

While Morocco seeks to continue its continental journey, Tanzania aims to establish itself as a tough opponent capable of causing problems, making the match open to all possibilities on the field.

The coach warned that overconfidence could be a stumbling block in Morocco’s pursuit of winning the AFCON for the first time since 1976. “We have to remain focused and remember why Morocco has not won this cup for over 40 years. It’s been overconfidence. We need to respect this Tanzania team, who have a good league and players competing abroad,” he said.

“There are no small teams in AFCON. One loss and you’re out. There is no room for mistakes at this stage. Clubs and national teams are different—different spirit, different challenge. We always have a difficult and tough game against Tanzania, with a fighting spirit, defending a lot, small spaces, and relying on counter-attacks,” Regragui added.

Regragui also provided updates on the match fitness of CAF African Footballer of the Year Achraf Hakimi, who returned from injury in Morocco’s final Group A match against Zambia last week. 

“Since his injury, we’ve been communicating with him. We needed to make sure he plays at the right time. He played 30 minutes against Zambia, which was the right timing without risk. Now physically, he is ready,” he said.

“He’s a good candidate for tomorrow’s game, but we’ll have to see. We will make a decision to allow him to play without risks. This evening we’ll think about it, but he’s ready.” As Morocco prepares for the high-stakes clash, the Atlas Lions aim to maintain focus and discipline, while Tanzania looks to challenge them, setting the stage for an intense and unpredictable encounter.