National coach Walid Regragui said Tuesday evening in Tangier that Morocco is «in high spirits» and has a «strong team ready» to take on the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) at home. «What matters to me is how we approach AFCON», he stressed during the press conference following Morocco's 4–0 friendly win against Uganda at the Grand Stadium of Tangier. «I tell the players: we must stay true to our values and score goals because that is essential, and arrive at AFCON with a united group. That's how we'll have a real chance of winning the cup», he added. «We feel the supporters' enthusiasm and their desire to win the title. It's a pressure we need to use positively and manage in order to perform at the highest level». Regragui noted that «the match was not easy», explaining that the main difference with the previous friendly against Mozambique was efficiency. He also highlighted Morocco's momentum: «We now have 18 consecutive victories. We've played matches with different styles». For his part, Uganda coach Paul Put Joseph congratulated Morocco on the win and praised the work done by Walid Regragui, recalling that «the match was tough, but it was useful to play it to identify mistakes before AFCON». «We thank Morocco for its excellent hospitality and remarkable organization», he said. «This is my fifth AFCON. I've never seen a country with such impressive infrastructure and organization as Morocco». Morocco's goals came from an own goal by Ugandan defender Achayi Herbert after a shot by Neil El Aynaoui (4'), followed by strikes from Ismaël Saibari (33'), Soufiane Rahimi (79', penalty), and Bilal El Khannouss (88').
