Walid Regragui has renewed his criticism of former Senegal manager Pape Thiaw over the events surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations 2025 final, saying the incident damaged the image of African football.
Regragui, who left his position as Morocco manager after the tournament, made his first major media appearance as a consultant on Canal Football Club on Sunday. Inevitably, much of the discussion focused on the disputed final between Senegal and Morocco.
The former Morocco boss has remained largely silent since his departure, but recently broke his silence about the incidents that took place during and after the match. The dispute is now before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which is due to deliver its decision in October.
Regragui did not give a direct answer when asked whether he considered Morocco to be the rightful champions. Instead, he referred to the ongoing legal process, coming shortly after he told Atheer: “I am the African champion, whether people like it or not.”
However, he again condemned the conduct of Thiaw, who was Senegal’s manager at the time. Thiaw had encouraged his players to leave the pitch in protest after a penalty was awarded to Morocco.
For Regragui, the episode had consequences well beyond the result of the final.
“Honestly, it had never been seen before, someone going to snap in the dressing room for 15 minutes and saying ‘we left the pitch’. It’s a disgrace,” he said.
“So whether you feel like the African champion or not? The most important thing is that today everyone is unhappy.”
The long interruption also affected the players, Regragui argued, particularly Brahim Diaz, who missed a penalty. The former Morocco manager said the stoppage contributed to unsettling the midfielder at a decisive moment.
At present, the latest ruling from the Confederation of African Football’s appeals process recognises Morocco as Africa Cup of Nations champions. That outcome remains subject to the final decision from CAS, which is expected next month.
The final between Senegal and Morocco has therefore continued to generate controversy months after the match itself. Regragui’s comments add to the criticism directed at the circumstances in which the game ended, while the legal challenge means the tournament’s definitive outcome has yet to be settled.
Regragui’s intervention came after several months away from public discussion of the issue. His appearance on Canal Football Club marked his return to the media spotlight as a football consultant, but the subject of the final remained central to the programme.
For now, Morocco retain the title under the CAF appeals ruling. The final word, however, will come from the Court of Arbitration for Sport when it announces its decision in October.