Morocco coach Regragui urges calm as hosts reach AFCON last four

Morocco coach Walid Regragui hailed a “historic” achievement in seeing his side reach the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday, but warned that the hosts have not yet achieved anything at the tournament.

“We need to just keep going one game at a time. We have not done anything yet,” Regragui insisted after the Atlas Lions beat Cameroon 2-0 in the quarter-final in Rabat thanks to goals either side of half-time from Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari.

Morocco, World Cup semi-finalists in 2022, set the tone with a superb first-half performance at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, and Cameroon never really looked like recovering after Diaz opened the scoring in the 26th minute.

“It was our best first-half performance I think since the World Cup, with lots of pressing and intensity,” Regragui said.

“I think we deserved the win even though things evened out a bit in the second half.”

Morocco are through to the semi-finals of a Cup of Nations for the first time since 2004, when they lost the final to Tunisia with Regragui in the team.

“It is historic. Moroccans have not seen their team in the semi-finals of an AFCON for 22 years,” the coach said.

“They deserve it but we need to keep our feet on the ground and make it even more historic.”

Meanwhile the coach hailed Diaz, with the Real Madrid winger now on five goals in five games at the tournament.

“He is the X factor of my team. He has been amazing, scoring in every game. Tonight he sent a message to the rest of the side with the way he ran and fought.”

Five-time champions Cameroon go home but their coach David Pagou — only appointed in the run-up to the competition — expressed pride in his players.

“We are satisfied with the boys because they have given a lot of emotions to the Cameroonian people and that was the aim,” he said.

“We wanted to go as far as possible but this is a team that is progressing and there are millions of Cameroonians who can be pleased.

“As a coach I will take away a lot of good things from this campaign.”