Tanzania sack national team coach after he is banned for Morocco comments

ABIDJAN, Côte d'Ivoire

Tanzania fired coach Adel Amrouche on Friday after he was banned for eight matches and fined $10,000 over comments about Morocco, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) official told journalists.

His dismissal was confirmed by the Tanzanian Football Federation with Hemed Suleiman promoted from assistant coach to caretaker boss for the rest of the Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

Group F outsiders Tanzania lost 3-0 to Morocco on Wednesday in the Ivory Coast and play Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo in their other mini-league fixtures.

Before Amrouche was axed, a CAF official said "(the organisation) has suspended the coach for eight matches after comments he made about Moroccan officials in a TV interview".

Amrouche was suspended and fined after the Royal Moroccan Football Federation filed a complaint with the CAF disciplinary committee, claiming breaches of the code of ethics and conduct.

"The Morocco federation is a proven power in the world of African football. Morocco manages African football," Amrouche told Algerian TV in a pre-Cup of Nations interview.

Algeria-born Amrouche alleged Moroccan officials within CAF decide who referees matches involving the senior men's national team, and at what time they kick off.

"We wanted to play a World Cup qualifier against Morocco last November in the afternoon, but CAF scheduled the match for the evening," said the coach.

The coach believed an afternoon kick-off in the sweltering heat of Dar es Salaam would favour Tanzania as many Moroccan players would be coming from clubs in generally cold Europe.

Before being hired by Tanzania last year, the 55-year-old coached Equatorial Guinea, Burundi, Kenya, Libya and Botswana and clubs in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Algeria.