Maximo: What Stars players should do in next Afcon duels
Tanzania's defender Ibrahim Hamad (L) fights for the ball with Morocco's defender Achraf Hakimi during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group F football match between Morocco and Tanzania at Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pedro on January 17, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Maximo, who now resides in his home country of Brazil, said the Taifa Stars players fought hard in the encounter against Morocco, despite losing 3-0.
Dar es Salaam. Former national football team (Taifa Stars) head coach Marcio Maximo has advised the team players to use a ball possession tactic as well as embrace discipline when playing against tough teams like Morocco.
Maximo, who now resides in his home country of Brazil, said the Taifa Stars players fought hard in the encounter against Morocco, despite losing 3-0.
He said Morocco are among the world’s football giants and the level of the game between the two was different.
“I am impressed with football development in Tanzania as Taifa Stars have now improved to be compared in the past, what they are supposed to do in their upcoming matches is to use a ball possession tactic when playing against giants as well as embrace discipline.
“For instance, the players have to avoid making unnecessary mistakes like what they did in the Morocco encounter as their mistakes resulted in five bookings and the red card.
“When you play against world class teams like Morocco, you need to be very careful when attacking as well as when defending,” said Maximo.
He noted that the team may opt to use a counter-attack as a way of scoring goals in their next matches.
“There are experienced players like Mbwana Samatta. Himid Mao and Simon Msuva who can change the pattern of the team. There are also new faces in the team who are very talented,” he said.
Maximo is well remembered in Tanzania for having coached Taifa Stars from June 29, 2006 to 2009 and made history for enabling the country to qualify for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals in Ivory Coast in 2009 after eliminating Sudan on 5-2 goal aggregate.
His success prompted the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) to extend his contract for one year until July 2010 before being replaced by Danish coach Jan Borge Poulsen.
The Brazilian trainer did a commendable job while in Tanzania as he highly promoted the country internationally
Meanwhile, Taifa Stars head coach Adel Amrouche has admitted that his tactical plan failed to bear fruit against Morocco, who beat them 3-0 in the match.
Amrouche's approach quickly unravelled as goals from Selim Amallah, Azzedine Ounahi and Badr Benoun sealed a comfortable Group F victory for the Atlas Lions.
"Our game plan failed. We did not expect this scenario but I congratulate Morocco for their performance and result," said Amrouche in a post-match interview.
"The quality of Morocco's players made the difference and they deserved to win. We wanted a good result but I also had a lot of injuries which did not help us. We then made individual mistakes," explained Amrouche.
