In their Africa Cup of Nations opener against Morocco, Tanzania faced a challenging defeat, and coach Adel Amrouche candidly admitted that the tactical plan did not unfold as expected. The Taifa Stars were handed a 3-0 loss by a formidable Moroccan side, with goals from Ghanem Saiss, Azzedine Ounahi, and Youssef Ennesyri securing a convincing victory for the Atlas Lions in Group F.
Amrouche acknowledged the disparity in quality between the two teams, stating, “Our gameplan failed. We did not expect this scenario, but I congratulate Morocco for their performance and result.” The Algerian coach recognized the exceptional abilities of Morocco’s players as a decisive factor in the outcome.
Injuries further complicated Tanzania’s aspirations, with Amrouche explaining, “We wanted a good result, but I also had a lot of injuries which did not help us. We then made individual mistakes.” Despite the setbacks, Amrouche remains optimistic about his team’s chances of progression from Group F.
“I’m trying to stay optimistic. We will correct our errors from this game and focus on the upcoming matches,” affirmed Amrouche. Recognizing the challenges ahead, he emphasized that it won’t be easy but stressed that Tanzania still has a chance.
Looking ahead to their next encounter, Tanzania is set to face Zambia on January 21st in a pivotal group match. After the sobering defeat against Morocco, Amrouche faces the task of quickly lifting his team and instilling the belief needed to pursue the pre-tournament target of achieving a “miracle” of progression in AFCON 2023.
Sportribune.com
