Botafogo coach Tite hails Hakim Ziyech’s quality despite defeat to Mirassol

Botafogo coach Tite has praised the technical qualities of Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech despite his side suffering a 2-0 defeat to Mirassol in the Brazilian league.

The experienced Brazilian coach highlighted the significant value Ziyech brings to the team, pointing to the Moroccan’s individual quality, versatility and ability to provide attacking solutions when Botafogo need creativity.

Ziyech was initially expected to feature for only a short period, with Tite revealing that the plan was for the former Chelsea star to play between 15 and 30 minutes.

However, the coach changed his plans during the half-time break and decided to introduce Ziyech earlier than initially intended because of Botafogo’s need for his technical ability.

Speaking after the game, Tite explained that Ziyech’s individual quality influenced his decision, particularly his capacity to unlock defences and create opportunities through his creativity.

The Botafogo boss also stressed that Ziyech is not restricted to one position on the pitch, describing him as a player capable of operating on the wing, in midfield or as a playmaker.

According to Tite, the Moroccan international can be given the freedom to move across the attacking areas and use his creativity to influence the game.

Although Ziyech’s introduction could not prevent Botafogo from suffering defeat against Mirassol, his technical contribution was singled out as one of the positives from the encounter.

The Moroccan also received the highest rating among Botafogo players for his performance, further underlining the impact he made during his time on the pitch despite the disappointing result for his team.