Morocco's Regragui Slams Thiaw as 'Shameful' After Afcon Final Descends into Chaos
The Africa Cup of Nations final ended in controversy, with Senegal's Pape Thiaw walking off the pitch in protest after a disputed penalty decision. Morocco head coach Walid Regragui was left to pick up the pieces, and he did not mince words in his criticism of Thiaw.
Regragui labeled Thiaw as "shameful" for bringing shame on African football, claiming that the Senegal coach had "disrespected" Africa by walking off the pitch. The Moroccan coach believed that Thiaw's actions were a disservice to the sport and its fans, saying, "The image we've given of Africa is shameful."
However, Regragui acknowledged that his own team was also to blame for missing out on the chance to win the title. He expressed disappointment with Brahim Díaz, who missed the penalty kick, but refused to place all the blame on Thiaw's walk-off.
In contrast, Senegal captain Pape Gueye spoke of his pride in winning the tournament, stating that they had been "frustrated" by a disputed foul call but chose to return to the pitch and give it their all. Their decision was vindicated when they scored the winner in extra time.
Regragui, however, has faced criticism for his own tactics, with many journalists calling for him to resign after Morocco's 26-game unbeaten run came to an end. Regragui insisted that football is a "cruel" sport and that losing is part of the game, but he acknowledged that his team was close to winning the title.
The tense atmosphere in the press conference room, where Thiaw was met with both cheers and boos, only added to the sense of chaos. The Senegal coach's walk-off sparked a heated argument with Moroccan journalists, which spilled over into the stage itself.
As the night drew to a close, it became clear that the Afcon final had left a sour taste in the mouths of many African football fans. Regragui's criticism of Thiaw may have been seen as an attempt to shift blame away from his own team, but it is clear that both coaches will be left to ponder what could have been if the penalty decision had gone their way.
The Confederation of African Football has vowed to investigate the disputed foul call and the subsequent walk-off, in a bid to restore confidence in the tournament. For now, though, the question on everyone's lips is: what next for Morocco?
The Africa Cup of Nations final ended in controversy, with Senegal's Pape Thiaw walking off the pitch in protest after a disputed penalty decision. Morocco head coach Walid Regragui was left to pick up the pieces, and he did not mince words in his criticism of Thiaw.
Regragui labeled Thiaw as "shameful" for bringing shame on African football, claiming that the Senegal coach had "disrespected" Africa by walking off the pitch. The Moroccan coach believed that Thiaw's actions were a disservice to the sport and its fans, saying, "The image we've given of Africa is shameful."
However, Regragui acknowledged that his own team was also to blame for missing out on the chance to win the title. He expressed disappointment with Brahim Díaz, who missed the penalty kick, but refused to place all the blame on Thiaw's walk-off.
In contrast, Senegal captain Pape Gueye spoke of his pride in winning the tournament, stating that they had been "frustrated" by a disputed foul call but chose to return to the pitch and give it their all. Their decision was vindicated when they scored the winner in extra time.
Regragui, however, has faced criticism for his own tactics, with many journalists calling for him to resign after Morocco's 26-game unbeaten run came to an end. Regragui insisted that football is a "cruel" sport and that losing is part of the game, but he acknowledged that his team was close to winning the title.
The tense atmosphere in the press conference room, where Thiaw was met with both cheers and boos, only added to the sense of chaos. The Senegal coach's walk-off sparked a heated argument with Moroccan journalists, which spilled over into the stage itself.
As the night drew to a close, it became clear that the Afcon final had left a sour taste in the mouths of many African football fans. Regragui's criticism of Thiaw may have been seen as an attempt to shift blame away from his own team, but it is clear that both coaches will be left to ponder what could have been if the penalty decision had gone their way.
The Confederation of African Football has vowed to investigate the disputed foul call and the subsequent walk-off, in a bid to restore confidence in the tournament. For now, though, the question on everyone's lips is: what next for Morocco?
Regragui needs to get his own act together first before trying to trash Thiaw. Like, c'mon dude, if you're gonna be all upset about the penalty decision, at least have the guts to take responsibility for your team's part in it. 
I mean, come on, 26 games unbeaten? That's not a fluke, that's a dynasty waiting to happen... and then you let Thiaw walk all over you. 
Give credit where credit is due, Pape Gueye was the real hero there. And honestly, who was Regragui trying to fool with this "cruel" sport nonsense? 
Losing is part of the game, yadda yadda... but still, that's no excuse for not having your team ready when it counts. 
Regragui is acting like a sore loser 
, talking trash about Thiaw after his team blew it. The penalty call was disputed and it's not fair to blame the Senegal coach for walking off 
. And yeah, it's pretty embarrassing that Morocco didn't even get to play in their own tournament final 
. And don't even get me started on Regragui's tactics... he's just making excuses like a bad sport 
, and now it's all anyone can talk about 
. Can we please just move on to something else? 
. I mean, we all know that penalty decision was sketchy, but to just shift the blame onto the Senegal coach? That's not cool 
. And can we talk about how ridiculous it is for Regragui to be criticizing Thiaw while his own team was struggling to capitalize on scoring opportunities? 
.
. Like, I get that it's a big game and you're invested, but walkin' off mid-match? That's some serious drama 
. And yeah, Morocco had their chances too, so don't @ me about Regregui tryin to shift the blame 
. The Afcon final was already gonna be tough for anyone to win with all those nerves & pressure, and then it just gets even more intense 
It's like, come on Walid, take responsibility for your team's mistakes 
. Anyway, Senegal deserved that win 
and I'm still fuming over that Afcon final 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to do so after being treated unfairly by the referee? It's not like he and his team were trying to be drama queens or anything...they were just frustrated and wanted to hold the tournament officials accountable.
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regragui slammed thiaw as "shameful" after walk off protest but honestly think he's the one who should be ashamed, missed penalty kick by diaz and then blame it on thiaw 
brahim díaz was gonna be their savior and he missed that penal
pape guye is a real hero 
I mean, I get that emotions ran high after that penalty decision, but come on! The way Regragui was going on about Thiaw bringing shame to Africa just felt a bit dramatic for my taste. Still, gotta respect Thiaw for sticking up for himself and his team. And congrats to Senegal on winning the tournament, they totally deserved it 