Morocco head coach Walid Regragui hailed the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as the standard for future competitions as his players went through their final paces for their Wednesday night clash against Nigeria in Rabat.
Regragui, a former Morocco international, says the timing of the tournament as well as playing surfaces in the slickly refurbished stadiums around the land have led to more flowing football and permitted the top teams to flourish.
"At the last Cup of Nations, when we played against the Democratic Republic of Congo, we played at 1.30 in the afternoon in something like 40-degrees heat with 80 percent humidity. In those kind of conditions, it's definitely more difficult to win a match.
"There were criteria that made it difficult for the teams so that they couldn't play their best football," he added.
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"But once the conditions were created for the best teams to play their best football, we've had nothing but big games even before these semi-finals.
"And now we can see that the best teams are rising to the occasion."
Before Morocco, who are Africa's top ranked side, take on Nigeria at the 68,000-seat Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah in Rabat, seven-time champions Egypt face the 2021 champions Senegal at the 70,000-seat stadium in Tangier.
"Both places will be full," Regragui added. "It's the best publicity we could have for African football."
Regragui played in the Morocco side that lost the Cup of Nations final to Tunisia in 2004.
And before the clash against Nigeria, he urged his players to take pride in becoming the first squad from Morocco to feature in the last four at the tournament since his vintage.
"Morocco has been climbing back up the rankings for four or five years to become one of the leaders in Africa," said Regragui who led the team to the last four at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
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"I think future African tournaments will evolve from this tournament in Morocco.
"We will have better conditions, there will be fewer and fewer surprises and we will have more and more big games, more entertainment. We will be able to sell the TV rights abroad as we will be putting on a better show for our continent.
"And at that point, as an African, I will be the happiest of coaches because that is what we want. We want our continent and our football to be respected."
Morocco will take on a Nigeria side who have scored 14 goals in their five games. However, they will be without influential skipper Wilfred Ndidi who is suspended.
"I won't say his absence is going to help us because in Nigeria's squad there are players who can fill the position and then they have the likes of [Victor] Osimhen and [Ademola] Lookman.
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"The important thing is not to look at just one player ... they're like us. They have the means and the resources to change their systems."
Morocco entered the tournament on the back of a 19-match winning streak. That sequence ended with a 1-1 draw against Mali on 26 December. Nigeria could terminate the 23-game unbeaten run.
"The game against Nigeria may be one of the most important matches in our history since the World Cup semi-final," claimed Regragui.
"At the World Cup, it was more of a surprise. Now we're where we belong but it's our goal is to make history.
"What matters to me is that a new generation sees Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final. And we know it's going to be difficult to get there."
