Rabat – Tunisian national team coach Sami Trabelsi stressed Monday in Rabat that football “is not a true science and there is no tournament similar to another.”
In a press conference on the eve of facing Uganda in the first round of the third group competitions within the African Cup of Nations, Trabelsi was keen to urge the media, especially the Tunisian ones, to differentiate between the disappointing participation in the Arab Cup and the expected participation in the Continental Cup in Morocco.
He added, “The best proof of this is that Algeria won the Arab Cup title in 2022 and was eliminated from the first round of the African Nations. There is no tournament similar to another, as each tournament has its own circumstances and givens. Incentives are not linked to a bad result. The players are in the best condition and the incentives are greater to respond to the disappointing participation in the Arab Cup.”
Trabelsi stressed that the Uganda match will not be easy because “it is the reality of the matches that imposes itself, not the reputation of the teams. Uganda is a respectable team and experience and statistics do not lie, and football has developed a lot and there is no longer any difference between a big or small team.”
He continued, “The Comoros tortured Morocco, the most likely candidate to win the title. In the opening match, it was a message to the giants of the continent that the task will not be easy, and that there are developed and advanced teams and the names of the teams should not be dealt with, and Uganda will be the surprise of the tournament.”
He added, “The nations of Africa are another story and another truth. It is not the name of the team that creates the difference, but rather the reality of the match. There are teams that play the role of a dark horse and you find them in the advanced stages or crowned with the title.”
Untie the opening match knot
Trabelsi expressed his hope to untie his country’s national team’s knot in the opening matches of the last five editions. Despite this, “Tunisia always has a faltering start and reaches the semi-finals or quarter-finals.”
Tunisia did not succeed in achieving victory in its first match in the continental tournament since the 2013 edition in South Africa, and Trabelsi was at the head of its technical management.
He said, “There is no team that came to the tournament for the sake of respite. Everyone has a great desire and ambition, and we are focused on the beginning and are keen to have a good start to achieve the title. These tournaments will be recorded in history and will not be erased.”
He explained, “God willing, Tunisia, in a brotherly country like Morocco, with facilities and a climate that represented a barrier to the North African teams, will be at the level and achieve the best results to disprove the expectations that see that we will occupy seventh or eighth place and will not compete for the title.”
Our focus is on Tunisia, not internal problems
On the other hand, the Belgian coach of Uganda, Pol Pot, said that his players’ focus is on confronting Tunisia and not “internal problems that remain secret and are dealt with between the local federation and the players.”
The Ugandan players boycotted the training session on Saturday after a tense meeting with Federation President Moses Magogo about granting qualification to the continental tournament, which they did not obtain despite repeated promises, and they also demanded an increase in the amount estimated at six thousand euros for each player.
Bout explained, “This exceptional tournament in Morocco, with its wonderful infrastructure and stadiums, motivates us a lot to provide the best results and go far in the competition.”
He added, “I know my team’s players and I trust their ability to give their best, whether the starters or the substitutes. They are not here just to appear. Tunisia’s complex in the opening matches does not concern me, but what I know is that we will face a strong and ancient team that possesses powerful weapons.” (agencies)
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