Tanzania head coach Miguel Gamondi is wary of the threat of the Super Eagles of Nigeria ahead of their AFCON 2025 Group C opener on Tuesday, www.aclsports.com reports.
Speaking at the official pre-match press conference on Monday, the 59-year-old tactician says that the Taifa Stars must avoid mistakes if they want to take something away from the game against the former Champions.
“You don’t need to introduce the attacking force of Nigeria,” Gamondi said about Nigeria’s quality in attack.
“When you see the quality of their players, you need to give more than 100 per cent. The smallest mistake against this kind of team can punish you. When you analyse Nigeria, you see where their players play and the level they are used to. They are among the best teams on the continent,” He added.
The Argentine went ahead to talk about his side’s approach to the game, insisting they will not be there to defend for the entire duration of the contest.
“The key for us is the shape, the tactical discipline, the structure, and the organisation. In games like this, there is no room for mistakes. We are not here only to defend; our mentality is not only to defend. We want to recover the ball and try to attack as well. We are coming here to compete with our guts.”
In terms of his side’s ambition in the tournament, Gamondi feels it is an opportunity for them to show what they can do on the continental stage.
“This is a very difficult group, with two of the five or six best teams in Africa. But we are not afraid. We are here to learn, improve, and prove the value of the Tanzanian player.”
“In football, anything is possible. Nobody can stop us from dreaming. If we avoid mistakes and give an extra effort, we can do something good,” Gamondi concluded.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will trade tackles with the Taifa Stars of Tanzania in Fes on Tuesday. The game has been scheduled for 6:30pm (Nigerian time).
