Tunisia gaffer steps down after dismal AFCON campaign
Tunisian coach Jabel Kadri announced his resignation following the North African side’s catastrophic AFCON campaign, according to AFP.
The Eagles of Carthage finished bottom of their group after a shock 1-0 loss to Namibia and two draws with Mali and South Africa.
Kadri,52, was appointed at the beginning of 2022 and led the team out in Qatar. Despite a World Cup group stage exit, his side showed promising signs, beating eventual finalists France 1-0 in their final group game.
Angry Tunisian fans who made the lengthy journey to West Africa could be heard calling for the gaffer’s head after their last group game, a scoreless draw with South Africa on January 24.
In his post-match interview, the under-pressure coach said, “My decision is definite. My contract fixed as an objective the semi-finals and because we haven’t made that the contract is over,”
READ: Morocco’s AFCON win bitter sweet due to Gaza massacre
Numerous continental powerhouses have suffered surprise eliminations from the tournament. Ghana finished third and Algeria finished bottom of their group, amassing 2 points each.
Chris Hughton and Djamel Belmadi, managers of Ghana and Algeria respectively, were relieved of their duties as the sides look for a much-needed revamp.
Hosts Ivory Coast progressed through to the last-16 by the skin of their teeth. It was feared that The Elephants would be sent packing in their own backyard following a horrendous display against Equatorial Guinea, who topped group A, with the Ivorians on the receiving end of a 4-0 thumping.
Despite progressing to the next stage as one of 4 best third placed teams, the Ivorian Football Federation showed their ruthless side as coach Jean-Louis Gasset was sacked.
The host will play Senegal, one of the AFCON favourites, in Yamoussoukro on January 29 (8pm local time).
AFP/ BBC News
