Tanzania assistant coach Hemed ‘Morocco’ Suleiman has expressed confidence in his squad ahead of their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) opener against Morocco on Wednesday.
The Taifa Stars coach highlighted they have worked on the shortcomings that they noted from two friendly matches and the players have shown adaptability and progress to do well in the Group F fixture against the Atlas Lions.
“We are thankful to Almighty God that all is well and the weather is friendly. We studied the two friendly games we played recently and identified some shortcomings. The two friendlies had proven fruitful as they offered time to analyse our strengths and weaknesses,” explained Suleiman at the team’s training camp in Stade Auguste Denis Est, San Pedro in Ivory Coast.
Tanzania defender Dickson Job predicted a tough game against Morocco by saying: “It’s going to be a tough match, but we are well-prepared to excel in the AFCON finals. All we need is hard work and commitment to secure a ticket beyond the group stage.
“Morocco are tough opponents, and we have faced them on multiple occasions. We are familiar with their playing style, and I believe our experience against similar opponents will help us perform well.”
Tanzania has taken part in two AFCON finals; 1980 and 2019, before landing in this year’s final. In both competitions Tanzania failed to make it beyond group stages.
