Tanzania Coach Handed 8 Match Ban and Fined $10,000 After Morocco Comments

• Adel Amrouche has been banned for eight matches by CAF
• The Tanzania coach made insulting accusations against Morocco
• Tanzania lost 3-0 to Morocco in their first AFCON 2023 group game

Adel Amrouche, Tanzania's coach, has been banned for eight matches after making disrespectful remarks regarding Morocco, according to the Confederation of African Football.

Following Tanzania’s 3-0 loss to Morocco in their first Africa Cup of Nations Group F encounter, the Algerian-born manager had claimed that officials from the North African country within CAF decide who referees matches involving the Atlas Lions and at what time they kick off.

According to The Cable, CAF’s disciplinary committee suspended Amrouche following complaints made by the Moroccan Football Federation after his insulting comments.

The Tanzania coach was also fined $10,000 by the African football governing body and is set to miss the rest of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations for bringing the game into disrepute.

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Before joining Tanzania last year, the 55-year-old had coached Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, Kenya, Libya, and Botswana, as well as clubs in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Algeria.

Tanzania fires Amrouche after comments

Meanwhile, Tanzania fired head coach Adel Amrouche on Friday, January 19, after he was banned for eight matches and fined $10,000 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over comments about Morocco, Super Sport reports.

The Tanzanian Football Federation announced his dismissal, with Hemed Suleiman moved from assistant coach to caretaker manager for the remainder of the Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

Tanzania lost 3-0 to Morocco in their opening Group F game on Wednesday and will play Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo next in their remaining group matches.

Kenyans mock Tanzania after loss

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Tanzania's loss to Morocco in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which elicited a funny response from Kenyans online, as the two countries have long been football rivals.

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With Kenya failing to qualify for AFCON 2023, a sense of jealousy and relief could be seen from the tweets and reactions of Kenyans captured following their rival's loss to the Atlas Lions.

Morocco's victory over Tanzania in Group F was widely anticipated, given their 13th position in the latest FIFA world rankings, starkly contrasting to Tanzania's 108th rank.