Al-Rakraki recalls the behind-the-scenes of the "World Cup."

Walid Regragui, the former coach of the Moroccan national team, touched on the key moments that shaped his coaching career, recalling his historic experience with the "Atlas Lions" at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, alongside the period he led Wydad Athletic Club, during his appearance on "The Coaches’ Voice."

Regragui confirmed that his acceptance to coach the national team was not merely linked to participating in the World Cup, but stemmed from a genuine desire to compete at the highest levels, explaining that he stipulated from the beginning that the goal was to go far in the tournament, after noticing the quality of the players available to the Moroccan team.

He added that the biggest challenges he faced were related to the limited time; he had only about three months before the World Cup began, a period during which he had to reintegrate some players, form the technical staff, build the team's identity, and instill his tactical ideas in a short time.

He pointed out that the draw against Croatia in the first match was a turning point in the journey of the "Atlas Lions," considering that coming away with a positive result from the opening match gave the players a significant boost of confidence, before the victory over Belgium reinforced the group's belief in their ability to achieve an exceptional feat.

He also emphasized that qualifying for the second round was not the limit of ambition, explaining that he urged the players, after surpassing the group stage, to write a new chapter in the history of Moroccan football by eliminating the Spanish team, before the goal shifted to achieving an unprecedented accomplishment for the African continent by reaching the semifinals at the expense of Portugal.

Regragui highlighted that the Moroccan team experienced a historic moment during the tournament, noting that he made sure to remind the players that they represented a generation that would remain etched in the memories of Moroccans and Africans, which provided them with additional motivation to continue shining.

The Moroccan coach expressed his conviction that the team was capable of going further than the semifinals, affirming that the group entered the match against France believing in their potential to reach the final and even compete for the World Cup title, after successfully eliminating world-class teams.

He added that the achievement in Qatar was not merely reaching the semifinals, but also represented a change in the prevailing mentality; players and fans began to believe in the possibility of competing with the top national teams globally, considering that this mental shift is the greatest gain left by the historic participation.