Tanzania sack coach Amrouche after ban for Morocco comments

Tanzania, on Friday, sacked the men’s football coach, Adel Amrouche, after he was banned for eight matches and fined $10,000 over comments about Morocco.

Amrouche’s dismissal was confirmed by the Tanzanian Football Federation with Hemed Suleiman promoted from assistant coach to caretaker boss for the rest of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign.

Group F outsiders Tanzania lost 3-0 to Morocco on Wednesday and play Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo in their other AFCON fixtures.

Before Amrouche was sacked, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) official said: “CAF has suspended the coach for eight matches after comments he made about Moroccan officials in a TV interview.”

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Amrouche was suspended and fined after the Royal Moroccan Football Federation filed a complaint with the CAF disciplinary committee, claiming breaches of the code of ethics and conduct.

“The Morocco federation is a proven power in the world of African football. Morocco manages African football,” Amrouche said in a pre-AFCON interview.

Algeria-born Amrouche alleged Moroccan officials within CAF decide who referees matches involving the senior men’s national team, and at what time they kick off.

“We wanted to play a World Cup qualifier against Morocco last November in the afternoon, but CAF scheduled the match for the evening,” he said.

The coach believed an afternoon kick-off in the sweltering heat of Dar es Salaam would favour Tanzania as many Moroccan players would be coming from clubs in generally cold Europe.

Before being hired by Tanzania last year, the 55-year-old coached Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, Kenya, Libya, and Botswana and clubs in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Algeria.

The Star