Thursday, March 4, Tunisia U20 head coach Adel Sellimi announced he expects a tough contest against in-form Senegal when the two sides clash in the semi-final of the 2023 U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) at the Suez Canal Authority stadium in Ismaila, Egypt this Monday.
The gaffer who has guided his nation to World Cup qualification and a first semi-final appearance in as many decades says he expects the UNAF champions to suffer against the Teranga Lions’ side yet to concede a goal in the competition.
He detailed reasons behind his view during the pre-match conference that took place on the Sunday at the match venue.
“The semi-final will be a very difficult and a tough match because it’s against Senegal,” Sellimi voiced.
“Senegal had an extra day to rest but we will be at the same level and our team will be ready for the match.
He however mentioned that despite the challenges they had some foundation on which they are building their claims for a result.
“We played against Senegal in a friendly match in Tunis before the tournament and of course it will help you to know the opponent. However this is a different game altogether,” He continued before stating their quarter-final triumph against Congo could be helpful.
“The quarter-final match gave us a lot of confidence and it motivated the team to face Senegal.
“The performance of the team against Congo showed the level we can play so it serves as a motivation for us.
“We want to win the match and head to the final. We are confident that we can win tomorrow.”
Tunisia are hoping to better in the semis this time around as in 2021 Adel’s charges fell short to Uganda during this phase of the competition.
If they perform better than the team that shipped four against the Uganda Hippos in Mauritania, they will be in the final against either Nigeria or The Gambia to whom they lost in the group stage of this competition.
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