Morocco's national team coach, Walid Regragui, has delivered a firm rebuttal to conspiracy theories suggesting match officials at the Africa Cup of Nations are unfairly favouring the host nation.
Regragui Dismisses 'Shameful' Claims
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday 13 January 2026, Regragui labelled the circulating narratives as damaging. The claims, pushed by some broadcast pundits and online supporters, allege leniency from tournament referees towards Morocco. "It's always a shame to go down this path," Regragui stated as his team prepared for their semi-final clash against Nigeria in Rabat on Wednesday.
"They want to make people believe that matches are always won this way," he continued. "Let's not kid ourselves, it's always been the case on the African continent to sow doubts and controversies."
Refereeing Inconsistencies a Global Issue
Regragui challenged journalists to maintain perspective, arguing that refereeing debates are universal. "You journalists need to do your job," he added. "A penalty can be given one way in one match and not in another. A handball is called in one match and not in another."
He pointed to his extensive viewing of European football, noting: "I watch a lot of matches because we have many players in Europe, and the controversies are the same everywhere, in Africa or in Europe." While he believes officials at Afcon are trying their best, Regragui did highlight incidents from Morocco's 2-0 quarter-final win over Cameroon where he felt decisions went against his side.
Incidents from Cameroon Victory Cited
The coach cited two specific moments from the Friday match to illustrate his point. "One of their defenders puts his foot on Abde (Ezzalzouli)'s ankle, and if VAR reviews the play, it's a penalty," he claimed. "The goalkeeper comes out to challenge (Ismael) Saibari and puts both hands in his head, that's a penalty. But neither were given."
Focus Must Remain on the Pitch
Regragui revealed he has instructed his players to block out any external noise regarding officiating. "The only way to win is on the pitch, by winning our matches. You've never heard me talk about the refereeing after a match," he asserted.
His philosophy centres on self-reliance and respect for the game's structures. "We take responsibility, we move forward, and we work hard. That's the goal. We need to support the referees, the players, and stop always feeling like we're being wronged."
Looking ahead to the high-stakes semi-final, Regragui concluded with a call for fairness: "We hope the referee will be fair to both teams tomorrow, as he has been since the start of the competition." Morocco now faces Nigeria for a place in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
