Walid Regragui: My players were already on holiday

Regragui was speaking shortly after the FIFA World Cup semifinalists lost 2-1 to Bafana Bafana in their AFCON qualifier at Soccer City.

The two sides had already sealed their tickets to the continental tournament in Ivory Coast next year, and Regragui believes they looked distracted.

"I think when I said in the press conference that I don't care about losing three or two games before the AFCON, I think my players listened to that today. They have their minds on the holidays and I tend to understand that. I think we had more intensity and had more opportunities, but Bafana Bafana deserves a victory and congratulations," he said.

Although Morocco arrived in South Africa with an almost identical team to the one at the World Cup, the coach did not start some of the high profile stars.

"We changed a lot of players in this game, I tried to see other players. That's what I want in these two games. To see other players and I am happy with some things and others I'm not happy with but as I said in the beginning what's important is that they recover and begin the rush in September so they can be ready for Ivory Coast," the coach explained.

Morocco can still finish top of the group should they beat Liberia in September, another fixture that’s a dead rubber.

"What is important is that I see a different system, tactically I changed a lot today, same against Cape Verde. I need to be ready and I need to see something.”