Morocco’s head coach, Walid Regragui has suggested that his team defeated Nigeria in the AFCON semi-final tie on Wednesday night to qualify for the final because the Atlas Lions made a ‘huge effort’ during the encounter.

Regragui pinpointed the united front displayed by his players and the Moroccan supporters, stating that their combined resilience was key in overcoming Nigeria.

The match ended in a goalless draw after 120 tense minutes, but Morocco triumphed 4-2 in the penalty shootout, with Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi missing their chances.

“We suffered a lot throughout the match, and reaching the AFCON final on home soil is a beautiful gift,” Regragui said during his post-match interview.

“Now we must think about physical recovery quickly because we made a huge effort. We played extra time, the match was difficult, and it consumed a lot of energy.

“I congratulate the Nigerian national team and coach Eric Chelle for the great work they’ve done, and I also extend my congratulations to our players and fans, because we all fought together [for victory against Nigeria] without exception,” he added.