AFCON 2025: Walid Regragui says Pape Thiaw damaged African football’s image

This update focuses on AFCON 2025 Regragui Thiaw. The controversy around AFCON 2025 was reignited after Walid Regragui openly criticised Pape Thiaw over the Morocco–Senegal final held in Morocco.

AFCON 2025 Regragui Thiaw: a final that still stings

Months after AFCON 2025, the final between Morocco and Senegal is still being discussed. The former Atlas Lions head coach, now a consultant for Canal+, has revisited the chaotic end to the game.

He reproaches then Senegal coach Pape Thiaw for allowing his players to leave the pitch temporarily after a penalty was awarded to Morocco. That decision triggered a long interruption and heightened tension on the field.

For Regragui, this sequence ruined what should have been a major celebration of African football under the eyes of the world.

“The big loser is African football”

In his comments, Walid Regragui underlined that the incident went far beyond the scoreline. He believes both sides share responsibility for what became a missed final.

“The big loser today is African football,” he said, pointing out that the match brought together “the two best teams in Africa over maybe the last five or six years.”

Yet Regragui mainly singled out Pape Thiaw. “That’s why I blame the Senegal coach a bit, because we didn’t show a good image,” he stated about the choice to leave the field.

In his view, that attitude projected the wrong message: “In the end, you made a decision that dirties African football.”

A question of image for host country Morocco

Beyond sporting rivalry, Walid Regragui stressed that the AFCON 2025 final was played in Morocco, the tournament’s host nation. This mattered especially for Moroccans living abroad, who closely follow major competitions organised back home.

For him, the Morocco–Senegal clash could have been a global shop window. He recalled that the game took place in stadiums “built to extraordinary European standards”, with strong international exposure.

This AFCON 2025 was therefore a chance to show a continent moving forward, able to host a major event in a calm, festive atmosphere.

When emotion overcomes the celebration

The moment criticised by Regragui highlights how pressure can derail a game that was expected to be a football celebration. The final combined:

• intense sporting rivalry between two top African sides;
• a packed Moroccan stadium and a large global audience;
• a symbolic stake for African football’s image.

For the former coach, this mix should have produced a positive landmark moment. Instead, the controversy over the penalty and the Senegal players leaving the pitch drew all the attention.

AFCON 2025, and especially this final, will remain a strong memory for Moroccan fans at home and across the world. But the debate opened by Walid Regragui, and his criticism of Pape Thiaw, shows that many within the game still feel African football deserves better than scenes of confusion broadcast worldwide.

As Morocco keeps investing in its sports infrastructure and bidding to host major competitions, the question of how the country and the continent are perceived abroad remains central — for local supporters and for Moroccans living overseas who see these events as a reflection of their homeland.

For more context, readers can follow Canal212 news for Moroccans abroad.

For official updates, readers can check the relevant official source.