Tanzanian Football Federation President Wallace Karia has moved swiftly to distance the organization from claims made by national team coach Adel Amrouche regarding Moroccan influence on African football and referees. «We categorically do not support the statement of our coach Adel Amrouche», Karia declared in a statement to Tanzanian media. «We respect Morocco's dedication to football development and will address Coach Amrouche's reckless and provocative statement accordingly». Amrouche had sparked controversy on Monday by suggesting that «in African football, the powers decide... and we simply face great teams and, apparently, other unknowns». He further questioned the timing of their World Cup qualifier loss to Morocco, raising concerns about potential referee bias influenced by the Moroccan football federation. However, Morocco's national coach, Walid Regragui, opted to sidestep the controversy during Tuesday's pre-match press conference. «I'm not interested in these statements», he stated. «We focus on football, and everything outside that, we leave to the officials and the Federation». Morocco and Tanzania go head-to-head Wednesday, January 17, in the opening match of Group F at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023) at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro, Ivory Coast.
