Following a brilliant performance at the just concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Morocco coach, Walid Regragui, has stated that Morocco needs to dominate African football.
He added that he expects an African team to win the World Cup in the next “15 to 20 years.”
Despite losing 2-1 to Croatia in the third-place play-off on Saturday, the Atlas Lions won the admiration and respect of supporters all around the world.
Africa will receive at least nine berths, up from five, at the 2026 World Cup, which will be staged in the USA, Canada, and Mexico with 48 teams.
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“With nine additional teams, we’re going to learn. In 15 to 20 years, I’m sure an African team will win the World Cup because we would have learned.
“We have a stage to get past. We need to build on that, with hard work and desire. This DNA is not just being built for Morocco, but for the continent,” said Regragui.
Morocco finished top of a group including Croatia and Belgium, who came third at the 2018 World Cup, before knocking out Spain and Portugal to reach the last four.
Their run was ended in the semi-finals by defending champions France, but Regragui has urged his players to back up their historic display by winning next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
“I said to the players in the changing room, if you want to go down in history then you’re going to have to win the Africa Cup of Nations. We need to dominate our continent,” said Regragui.
Morocco has only won the African Cup once, in 1976, but their World Cup results indicated that they are a side on the rise under Regragui, who was only appointed in August.
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