Tanzania’s national team coach, Adel Amrouche, has expressed his frustration after being limited to only six substitutions during their friendly match against Egypt.
The Taifa Stars suffered a 2-0 defeat to the Pharaohs in their final preparatory game for the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.
Mahmoud Trezeguet scored the opening goal in the first half, followed by an unfortunate own goal by goalkeeper Aishi Manula in the second half.
Mohamed Salah’s penalty hit the crossbar and rebounded off Manula, resulting in Egypt’s second goal at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday.
Amrouche voiced his disappointment in a television statement, saying;
“We had agreed to make numerous changes in the game, but now they are telling me I can only make six. If I had known this earlier, I would have refused to play the match.”
He also expressed his regret that the decision to limit substitutions prevented some players from gaining valuable experience.
“This decision deprived us of the opportunity for our young players to gain experience and showcase their skills against a group of African football stars. It’s unfair to these talented individuals.”
Tanzania will kick off their AFCON campaign against Morocco, followed by matches against Zambia and DR Congo in their group stage.
