Morocco head coach Walid Regragui has admitted he would prefer to face Algeria rather than Nigeria in the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, as the Atlas Lions wait to discover their next opponents, Soccernet.ng reports.
Morocco sealed their place in the last four on Friday with a composed 2-0 victory over Cameroon at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Goals from Brahim Diaz and Ismael Saibari, one in each half, were enough to settle a tense quarter-final and continue the hosts’ impressive march through the tournament.
The win made Morocco the second team to reach the semi-finals, after Cameroon had earlier booked their spot with a narrow 1-0 win over ten-man Mali.
Two more quarter-final ties will be played on Saturday. Nigeria face Algeria in Marrakech in a highly anticipated North African-West African showdown, before Egypt take on defending champions Ivory Coast later in the evening.
Morocco are scheduled to meet the winner of the Nigeria–Algeria clash, a match widely seen as too close to call. Both teams arrive in the quarter-finals with perfect records, having won all four of their matches so far in the competition.
Nigeria boast the most potent attack at the tournament, having scored a competition-high 12 goals, with Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman leading a fearsome frontline. Algeria, by contrast, have built their campaign on defensive solidity, conceding just once in four matches to boast the meanest defence in the competition.
On paper, many observers believe the Super Eagles look better placed to progress. Yet Regragui has made it clear he would rather see Algeria come through.
Despite the political and historical tensions between the two neighbours, the Morocco coach insisted a semi-final meeting would be a celebration of football.
Get Our Sports News First – Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!
What Morocco coach Regragui said about Nigeria vs Algeria
“If it’s Algeria we have to face in the semi-final, it will be a true historic derby, between two brotherly peoples,” Regragui said after Morocco’s win over Cameroon.
“It would be beautiful for football. If it’s them, we’ll be very happy because it will be a great celebration.”
History, however, favours Algeria in their rivalry with Nigeria. The Desert Warriors have won each of their last four meetings with the Super Eagles, including a 2-1 victory in the semi-finals of the 2019 AFCON, a tournament they went on to win.
Saturday’s match in Marrakech will be the 22nd meeting between the two sides. Algeria hold a narrow overall edge with 10 wins to Nigeria’s nine. At the Africa Cup of Nations, they have met nine times, with Algeria winning four and Nigeria three.
