What does the future hold for Morocco coach Walid Regragui?

Doubt has set in. Barely has the chapter of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations closed, and an air of uncertainty now surrounds Walid Regragui’s future at the helm of the Moroccan national team.

🇲🇦🇸🇳 OH MY GOD! Walid Regragui and Pape Thiaw nearly came to blows after the match. 👊🏽👊🏿💥

The two managers. 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/SDPWRH4yao

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) January 18, 2026

The defeat in the final in Rabat has left its mark, both sporting and psychological, and the debate is already raging in the streets and among the country’s leaders: will Regragui remain in charge until the 2026 World Cup?

According to information gathered by Pan-Africa Football from sources close to the matter, Fouzi Lekjaa has decided to take a wait-and-see approach. The president of the Moroccan Football Federation has given his national team coach a few days’ respite, allowing him to recover after a demanding tournament and avoid making any decisions under pressure.

However, a crucial meeting is expected: it will serve to conduct a comprehensive review of the Africa Cup of Nations, analyze the decisions made, and, above all, outline the plans for the World Cup in the United States next summer.

In the Moroccan coach’s inner circle, uncertainty prevails. Regragui reportedly confided to close associates that he hasn’t ruled out resigning, despite a contract running until the end of 2026. Some of his past statements are now coming back to haunt him: his media appearance on the Spanish program El Chiringuito, in which he stated that a failure at home in the Africa Cup of Nations would open the door to his departure, is resurfacing with renewed intensity. The pressure he has faced in recent weeks—from a sporting, media, and emotional standpoint—only adds to the tense atmosphere.

The coach’s silence at the press conference on Sunday evening in Rabat only fueled the speculation. When asked about a possible resignation “today or tomorrow,” Regragui offered no response. For some, this evasion is tantamount to an admission; for others, it’s simply a matter of prudence.

In this tense atmosphere, several possibilities are emerging. At the federation, the option of extending the contract is not being ruled out: Lekjaa had already kept Regragui in his position after the early elimination in Côte d’Ivoire during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. But the possibility of a change before the 2026 World Cup is gaining traction.

Several Moroccan coaches are ready to step in. The name that comes up most frequently is that of Tarik Sektioui, who has had a remarkable rise: bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, victory at the African Nations Championship (CHAN), and most recently, the Arab Cup title in Qatar.

Morocco is thus entering a period of uncertainty. Between continuity and change, the decision promises to be crucial for the short term… as well as for the recent history of the Atlas Lions. The coming days will tell whether Walid Regragui will still be part of the journey to the United States, or if the page will be turned sooner than expected.

EDITOR NOTE: This article is translated from the original written in French by Omar Chraibi for Pan-Africa Football.