Miguel Gamondi walked off the pitch in Rabat with his head high, insisting Tanzania had proved they belong on this stage despite a narrow 1–0 defeat to hosts Morocco that ended their AFCON dream.
Morocco controlled most of the ball and territory, but Gamondi’s side stayed compact, disciplined and patient, closing spaces and frustrating the Atlas Lions for long stretches. A first-half strike from Ismail Saibari was ruled out by VAR for offside, a moment that underlined how hard Tanzania were working to stay alive in the contest.
Eventually, Brahim Diaz broke their resistance midway through the second half with a sharp finish from a tight angle, his fourth goal of the tournament and the one that finally separated the teams. Even then, Tanzania remained competitive, trying to hit on the break and refusing to let the game drift away from them.
After the final whistle, Gamondi summed up his emotions simply: “I am so proud of what my team produced. So proud of my players, both in their attitude and tactically.”
“They showed that the gap between Morocco and us is not as big as people think. We will come back stronger, I am convinced of that.”
