AFCON 2023: Tanzania suspend manager Adel Amrouche following eight-match CAF ban

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Tanzania have suspended manager Adel Amrouche just after he received an eight-match ban from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The sanctions were imposed after officials from the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMFF) reached out to CAF, complaining about remarks made by Amrouche.

Morocco and Tanzania faced off in Group F at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on Wednesday. The Atlas Lions beat a 10-man Tanzanian team 3-0 with Novatus Miroshi the player shown his marching orders.

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A statement from the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) confirmed it had suspended Amrouche after the coach’s comments.

Amrouche spoke about “Morocco having influence in Caf, to manipulate the match scheduling and officiating”.

The 55-year-old had earlier criticised the RMFF’s influence over African football, even before Afcon started.

Adel Amrouche was only in charge for one AFCON game before the double punishment

Meanwhile, Hemed Suleiman Ali is now in interim charge of the Taifa Stars, supported by Juma Mgunda. Ali will manage Tanzania during their second group game against Zambia on Sunday (18:00 WAT).

Tanzania are aiming to make the knockout stages for the first time in their third AFCON appearance.

Amrouche has experience managing African nations like Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, Kenya, Libya and Botswana.

TFF president Wallace Karia stated in a video that the football body “do not agree with his [Amrouche’s] comments.”

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“Those are his own personal sentiments as a coach. We are Caf members, and we know Caf follows its own procedures without influence from any country,” Karia said.

“The TFF and the Moroccan football federation are friends.”