3 mistakes made by Walid Regragui during the match against Gabon that worry Moroccan supporters
Walid Regragui, coach of the Moroccan national team, has been the subject of some criticism from Moroccan fans, who held him responsible for the mistakes made by the “Atlas Lions” against the “Leopards of Gabon” despite the 4-1 victory yesterday evening, Friday.
Walid Regragui faces a series of criticisms and direct questions, whether from the Moroccan public or from journalists during press conferences, the latest of which came after the confrontation with Gabon despite a four-legged victory.
Regragui made 3 mistakes against Gabon which were obvious to everyone, especially defensively and in midfield.
The “Atlas Lions” conceded a penalty goal, which was successfully executed by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He also missed a kick before that, and the Gabon national team was on the verge of scoring at least 3 goals in this match.
“Catastrophic” errors in depth in defense.
The coach of the “Atlas Lions” is facing great difficulties with the drop in the level of captain Romain Ghanem Saiss, who excluded him from the list, the injury of Shadi Riyad and the impossibility of summoning Jawad Al-Yamiq, the Saudi defender of Al-Wahda.
Regragui relied on Abdelkebir Abakar and Nayef Akrad at the heart of the defence against Gabon. But Abkar made a number of mistakes and confusion was evident in the Moroccan national team’s defence.
Lack of balance in midfield
Regragui relied on Sofiane Amrabat, recently transferred to Turkish club Fenerbahce, in the middle of the defense, and chose to use attacking players alongside him, such as Bilal Al-Khannous and Ibrahim Diaz, which caused a lack of balance in the defensive roles.
The Moroccan national team coach chose not to play Amir Richardson or another defensive player alongside Amrabat, in order to be able to start Hakim Ziyech and Brahim Diaz, something that was acknowledged by Regragui, who stressed the need to use his options on the field in a better way.
Players keep trying
Walid Regragui continues the policy of experimentation with a group of players, which prevents him from being satisfied with a fixed squad. In the last match, he decided to play with Achraf Hakimi at left-back and Noussair Mazraoui at right-back. and he confirmed in a press conference that the Paris Saint-Germain star was not comfortable.
Regragui must find the right combination, with simple changes from game to game, as the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals approach.
