Walid Regragui has revealed the message he gave Brahim Diaz after the forward missed a crucial penalty for Morocco in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal.
Speaking at length on Atheer’s Magharib podcast, Regragui revisited a match Morocco initially lost on the pitch but later won following a decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Appeal Jury.
Diaz missed from the spot in the 90th minute and fourth minute of stoppage time, a failure that denied Morocco the chance to settle the final before extra time. The additional period ultimately proved decisive against the Atlas Lions.
Although Regragui appeared to criticise Diaz immediately after the incident for attempting a Panenka at such a critical moment, the former Morocco manager later offered a more sympathetic assessment of the Real Madrid player’s mistake.
The 50-year-old believes the circumstances surrounding the penalty may have affected Diaz’s concentration and execution. The game had been interrupted after Senegal’s players left the pitch following an intervention by their then-manager, Pape Thiaw.
Regragui said the lengthy stoppage, the tense atmosphere and the pressure created by supporters waiting for play to resume could all have unsettled the forward before he took the penalty.
He compared the situation with Kylian Mbappe’s missed penalty against Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup. Mbappe, France’s captain, had complained after that match about the length of the wait caused by a VAR review before the kick was taken.
Regragui said he spoke to Diaz after the final and encouraged him to use the experience as a lesson for the rest of his career.
“My son, what happened will make you stronger,” was the message he passed on to the player.
The former head coach’s comments suggest he viewed the penalty miss not simply as a technical error, but as an incident shaped by the unusual circumstances of the final. While he had been visibly frustrated by Diaz’s decision to try a Panenka, Regragui also recognised the mental strain created by the interruption and the importance of the moment.
The final was subsequently affected by events beyond the missed penalty, with the CAF Appeal Jury later awarding Morocco victory despite Senegal having won the match on the field.
Regragui’s reflections focus on Diaz’s response to the setback and the possibility that the experience will help the forward deal with pressure in future decisive matches.