DR ‹ › Morocco head coach Walid Regragui said on Monday evening that a new phase now begins for the Atlas Lions after securing qualification for the round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco 2025), following their 3–0 victory over Zambia. He stressed that from now on, every match will be treated as a final. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Regragui said: «Every game will be like a final. We will continue this competition with the same spirit in order to go as far as possible in this tournament». «We wanted to stay in Rabat», he added, praising the decisive role played by the supporters and noting that scoring early makes matches easier to manage. Addressing the changes made to the lineup compared to the previous two games, the national coach explained that each match requires a specific approach and adjustments. He also revealed that left-back Anass Salah-Eddine felt muscle discomfort, while Sofyan Amrabat was dealing with a minor ankle injury. «We will need the contribution of all our players», Regragui continued, underlining that the Africa Cup of Nations is traditionally a demanding competition. For his part, Ayoub El Kaabi, who was named Man of the Match, said the Moroccan team had expected a tough challenge against Zambia. «I thank the Moroccan fans who support us in all circumstances», said El Kaabi, who now has three goals in this AFCON edition. «The most important thing is winning (…) we will take some rest before starting to think about the round-of-16 match». He added: «We studied the Zambian team's style of play well, and we hope to continue on the same path». Commenting on his second goal of the tournament, a spectacular bicycle kick, the Olympiacos striker said: "The most important thing is scoring goals and helping the national team win. I'm also happy to have scored in this way». Morocco sealed their place in the round of 16 with a convincing 3–0 win over Zambia on Monday evening at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, in the third round of Group A matches. With this result, the Atlas Lions finished the group stage at the top of the standings with seven points.
