Walid Regragui, the 48-year-old Morocco head coach, clinched the CAF’s Best Coach of the Year in the men’s category for steering his team to a historic World Cup semi-final run in Qatar.
This top coaching honor was awarded at Monday’s ceremony in Marrakech, recognizing Regragui’s remarkable impact in 2022.
Surpassing Aliou Cisse of Senegal and Abdelhak Benchika of Algeria, Regragui’s coaching revolution with Morocco’s talented squad earned him widespread acclaim, securing his place in football history as the first African coach to reach the World Cup’s last four.
Despite taking charge just three months before the tournament, he orchestrated memorable victories over Belgium and Spain, transforming Morocco into trailblazers on the global stage.
Regragui’s ascent followed his August appointment by the Morocco Football Federation, coming on the heels of winning the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League with Wydad Casablanca.
Despite falling short against defending champions France, Regragui’s impact turned Morocco from outsiders into formidable contenders.