WATCH – Tunisia coach apologizes after defeat: Argentina loses first game, wins World Cup | Sports
Tunisia national team coach Jalal Qadri apologized to domestic fans following Tuesday night's 1-0 loss to Namibia in their first-round African Cup of Nations Group 5 match.
“We apologize to the fans. This is a painful loss. The Namibia national team scored at a cruel moment and we did not react successfully,” Kadri said in a televised statement after the game.
The Tunisian coach stressed: “I take responsibility. We are the ones who put ourselves in this situation, but we have experience that allows us to overcome difficult situations.”
“We have to get back to our level and I'm sure the team will respond strongly in the next two games against Mali and South Africa,” he added.
He also pointed out, “We know the difficulty and importance of the first game in all competitions, but we are not the first team to be defeated in the first game. Argentina lost to Saudi Arabia in the first game of the World Cup, and then Title at the end of a winning journey.”
Jalal Qadiri apologizes to Tunisian public#Africa_Nations Cup | #tunis_namibia#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/WIZWuC50xf
— beINSPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 16, 2024
Jalal Qadri explained the reason for the loss to Namibia, saying: “We knew the quality of our opponent and I also warned the players, but unfortunately we didn't pay attention to them. Our level was poor in the first half and after After many substitutions, the situation has relatively improved.”
Kadri concluded: “The injury to Taha Yassin Hanisi in the first half hour caused confusion in the calculations and prompted a change of plan. We also criticized the ineffective use of the four chances before Namibia scored.”
The Tunisian national team will face Mali in the second round next Saturday and end the first round against South Africa on Wednesday, January 24.
Namibia surprises Tunisia
⏯️Watch the match summary👇#Africa_Nations Cup | #tunis_namibia #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/lVq6ms81q8
— beINSPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 16, 2024
