Regragui Responds to Refereeing Bias Allegations: “When They Want to Kill a Dog, They Say It’s Rabid”

Morocco head coach Walid Regragui delivered a clear and firm response following the Atlas Lions’ 2–0 victory over Cameroon and their qualification for the semi-finals of AFCON Morocco 2025, putting an end to the growing debate surrounding alleged refereeing favoritism toward the host nation.

Speaking with confidence, Regragui dismissed claims that Morocco benefits from biased officiating, stressing that football matches are decided on the pitch, not through speculation. “Many people want to believe, or convince others, that we receive refereeing advantages. Personally, I have seen the opposite—penalties that could have been awarded to us were not given. I never talk about referees,” he stated.

The national coach backed his stance with concrete examples from past tournaments. Recalling AFCON 2023 in Côte d’Ivoire, he said: “There was a clear penalty not awarded to us against South Africa, and I was suspended without any reason. Statistics always show that we are better than our opponents.” For Regragui, facts and performance outweigh perception.

Analyzing match dynamics, he highlighted Morocco’s attacking superiority. “We create far more chances than our opponents. No goal was wrongly disallowed against Cameroon or any other team. When they want to kill a dog, they say it’s rabid,” he added, summarizing attempts to discredit Morocco’s progress whenever the team advances.

Regragui believes such criticism is inevitable because Morocco has become the team everyone wants to beat. “We are the team to eliminate. That’s why people look for excuses and say Morocco benefits from privileges. The only advantage we have is playing in front of 65,000 supporters,” he explained, emphasizing that home support is a legitimate factor for any host nation.

On Cameroon, the Moroccan coach acknowledged the opponent’s quality while reaffirming his team’s superiority. “Cameroon played the match they had to play, but I believe they faced a stronger team,” he said, combining respect with conviction.

He also rejected the idea that officiating influenced the outcome. “I don’t think any player or coach will talk about refereeing. There were many physical duels—this is Africa,” Regragui noted, placing the match in its proper continental context.

Regragui concluded by underlining that Morocco has deserved every result in the tournament. “Against Tanzania, Zambia, Mali, and Comoros, we deserved to win. Trying to exploit this narrative is not sportsmanship,” he argued.

Ending on a resolute note, the Atlas Lions’ coach said such criticism comes from those who want to see Morocco fall. “In the end, the best team will win this trophy,” he declared, reinforcing his philosophy: success is earned on the field, through performance, unity, and merit.