Coach Jalal Al-Qadiri announced the end of his coaching contract with the Tunisian national team after the disappointing exit – Wednesday – from the group stage of the African Cup of Nations currently being held in Ivory Coast.
Tunisia needed a victory over South Africa to guarantee a ticket to the final 16, but it settled for a goalless draw in the final round of the fifth group competitions, leaving the competition in the first round.
The Carthage Eagles team collected only two points from 3 matches, with a 1-1 draw against Mali and South Africa, and a 0-0 loss at the hands of Namibia, to occupy last place in the group.
From the group, Mali (leader), South Africa (runner-up), and Namibia (best third place) qualified from the group.
Jalal Al-Qadiri announces the end of his contract as coach of Tunisia#Africa_Cup of Nations | #Tunisia_South_Africa#totalenergiesafcon2023 pic.twitter.com/R9Vwl76bAD
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) January 24, 2024
After the disappointing exit, Jalal Al-Qadri confirmed that facing South Africa was his last with the Tunisian national team. He said, “I have a contract with the national team that expires if we do not reach the semi-finals of this continental championship,” adding, “This is my contract and this is my decision.”
Al-Qadri added, “I bear responsibility. The important thing is that the person is satisfied with what he presented. We worked hard and gave everything we could. The group had the desire to go far in this tournament, but we did not succeed.”
Regarding the result of the draw with South Africa, the Tunisian coach explained, “We were close to advancing the score, especially in the first half. We lacked the translation of the available offensive opportunities.”
Al-Qadri (52 years old) took over as coach of the Tunisian national team on January 30, and led the team in 27 matches, achieving 14 wins, 7 draws, and 6 defeats.
It is worth noting that the Tunisian national team left the group stage for the sixth time in the history of its participation in the African Championship.
