Tanzania head coach Miguel Gamondi has expressed frustration with officiating following his side’s narrow defeat by hosts Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Taifa Stars were beaten 1-0 in their round-of-16 tie on Sunday, a result that sent Morocco through to the quarter-finals in front of a crowd of more than 60,000 supporters.

Speaking after the match, Gamondi rejected suggestions that Tanzania travelled to the tournament to simply defend, insisting his players attempted to compete on equal terms.

“We didn’t come here just to sit back,” he said, pointing to the match statistics, with both sides registering four shots on goal. “It shows the game was more balanced than people might think.”

Morocco, however, enjoyed much of the possession and territorial advantage, something Gamondi attributed to the pressure of playing in a packed stadium against the host nation.

“The atmosphere was intense,” he said. “When you play in front of that many fans, it naturally affects the rhythm and flow of the game.”

While clearly unhappy with some refereeing decisions, the coach chose not to go into detail, saying any exchanges with officials would remain private.

“There were things I didn’t like,” he admitted. “But my role here is to talk about football. These situations are part of the game.”

Reflecting on Tanzania’s overall campaign, Gamondi acknowledged the scale of the challenge his side faced, having been drawn against some of Africa’s strongest teams, including Tunisia, Nigeria, Angola and Morocco.

He conceded that Tanzanian football is still in a development phase and lags behind the continent’s established powers.

Looking ahead, Gamondi said at least two years of focused work would be needed to build a more competitive squad, particularly with Tanzania set to co-host the next AFCON alongside Kenya and Uganda.

He added that he had warned his players before the match about the consequences of mistakes against elite opponents like Morocco, especially in a high-pressure environment where small details can decide the outcome.