Brahim Diaz could be the key for Morocco in AFCON final against Senegal

VIDEO SHOWS: MOROCCO TRAINING AND PRESS CONFERENCE AHEAD OF AFCON FINAL AGAINST SENEGAL RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: RABAT, MOROCCO (JANUARY 17, 2026) (STATS PERFORM – Access all) 1. VARIOUS OF MOROCCO FORWARD, YOUSSEF EN-NESYRI, PASSING BALL AROUND WITH TEAMMATES 2. VARIOUS OF HEAD COACH, WALID REGRAGUI, ON TRAINING PITCH 3. VARIOUS OF PLAYERS IN HUDDLE 4. VARIOUS OF BRAHIM DIAZ 5. REGRAGUI ENTERING PRESS CONFERENCE WITH FORWARD, ELIESSE BEN SEGHIR 6. (SOUNDBITE) (French) MOROCCO HEAD COACH, WALID REGRAGUI, SAYING: "The key factor for us will be managing our emotions from the start of the match. The team that’s under pressure is Morocco, of course. That’s normal, we're playing at home. So now we have to see how we can manage this match in terms of emotions, not putting pressure on ourselves. We saw that especially in the match against Tanzania, the first knockout match. The first 25 minutes weren't good enough. We could have paid dearly for that, but then we put things right against Cameroon and Nigeria. I think the players understood that they needed to relax. So tomorrow, my only fear is that they won't play relaxed, that they'll put too much pressure on themselves in this final and start thinking negatively." 7. PLAYERS JOGGING 8. VARIOUS OF DEFENDER, ACHRAF HAKIMI, JOGGING WITH TEAMMATES 9. HAKIMI 10. (SOUNDBITE) (French) MOROCCO HEAD COACH, WALID REGRAGUI, SAYING: "It’s a football match. It’s a final. You have to play it and you have to enjoy it. But ultimately, we have to win. We know we’re up against a team that’s used to playing finals and have lots of confidence. The Senegalese went through that; they were a team a bit like Morocco, able to reach the final and perform consistently. It was complicated for them. Now we see that when they enter competitions, even when they don't perform as well, a bit like us in the first round, with a lot of criticism, ‘Senegal can do better.’ ’Morocco can do better’. In the end, the big teams reach the finals. It’s not that they scare me, but Senegal will be up for it tomorrow. They went to the Martyrs' Stadium (in Kinshasa for World Cup qualifying) and they weren’t worried. They're tough. I just hope they're not overconfident and that we're not either. But it's going to be a great final. These matches come down to the little details. It's 50-50, maybe 51% in our favour with the crowd. If they're as good as they were in the semi and quarter-finals, maybe it’ll be 55%. In any case, it won't be easy for them or for us, but we're confident and so are they, and I hope the best team wins." 11. HAKIMI TRAINING 12. DIAZ WARMING UP 13. REGRAGUI WATCHING ON OVER TRAINING 14. HAKIMI PASSING BALL AROUND WITH HAMZA IGAMANE AND ABDE EZZALZOULI 15. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MOROCCO HEAD COACH, WALID REGRAGUI, SAYING: "His mentality has changed since he first came to the national team. He obviously came with lots of desire and lots of people were expecting him to make a big difference. But now he knows he’s just another player in the team. Obviously, he’s an X factor for us who can score at any moment. But what’s more important for us is how he runs for the team. And how he promotes the offensive style of play we want. For example, he didn’t score in the last match, but he was one of the happiest to play for Morocco. He chose to represent Morocco and now I'm happy because the project I and the president of the (Royal Moroccan Football) Federation presented him with — I remember three years ago in Milan when he spoke about coming to play for Morocco, we didn’t lie to him when we said that he’ll have people here who’ll love him for life, and that if he puts his heart and soul into the team the fans will never forget him. And that he’d have the opportunity to win titles here and play in the World Cup too. And that’s what’s happened. So, I’m very happy. Very happy with his attitude and I’m happy his going back to Madrid with more minutes under his belt. So, he’ll surely compete for a starting spot. Now, he needs to finish the job tomorrow. That’s what’s most important for him and for us." 16. VARIOUS OF REGRAGUI POSING FOR PHOTOS WITH FORWARD, ELIESSE BEN SEGHIR, AND LEAVING PRESS CONFERENCE 17. VARIOUS OF PLAYERS RUNNING WARM-UP DRILL 18. GOALKEEPER, YASSINE BOUNOU, TRAINING STORY: Morocco coach Walid Regragui is predicting that Brahim Diaz could be the catalyst for his side as they bid to win the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in half a century on Sunday (January 18). Diaz is the top scorer at the tournament with five goals in six matches but it has been his dribbling play and constant probing of opposing defences that have seen him emerge as one of the best players over the last month of competition. Morocco take on Senegal in Rabat in Sunday’s final and the pressure is on the Real Madrid midfielder to deliver for the hosts, whose only previous Cup of Nations success was in 1976. "His mentality is strong, he plays with a lot of desire,” Regragui said of Diaz in Saturday’s (January 17) pre-match press conference. “He knows he has to make a difference. The most important thing is how he orchestrates the attacking phases.” Diaz is a former Spain international, with a father from Morocco, who was persuaded to switch his international allegiance two years ago. “I'm happy because three years ago there was the project of coming to play for Morocco. There were people who wanted him here, he felt he could help us win titles and play in the World Cup and that's what happened," Regragui added. Top-ranked Morocco have at times in the tournament looked to be struggling under the weight of expectation, but put on convincing performances in both the quarter-final and semi-final to advance to the deciding game. "It will be about managing emotions. The team under pressure is Morocco, we're playing at home but we mustn't put pressure on ourselves. "The players understand that they need to relax. That's my only fear. We're going to be facing a team that's used to playing in finals, that is confident. “Senegal are strong. It will be a great final, it's 50-50. We might have a 51% chance with the crowd," the coach added. Regragui also admitted that getting so close to success after decades of missed opportunity for Morocco meant it was imperative to win Sunday’s final. “We've been a winning team for a while now. We don't want to miss out on this chance,” he said. (Production: Conal Quinn)

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