Having lost to Namibia in their first Africa Cup of Nations group game, Tunisia boss Jalel Kadri has seemingly fired a warning to his side's next two opponents Mali and South Africa.
Perhaps the biggest upset of the tournament so far, Tunisia recently suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Namibia, who 87 spots below them on the FIFA rankings.
It was indeed a historic victory for their opponents, as it marked their first-ever victory at AFCON.
However, for the third-ranked team under CAF, it was ultimately a day to forget, as they also lost experienced centre-forward Yassine Khenissi through injury just 15-minutes into the Namibia. The striker has subsequently been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament.
Speaking ahead of the next game against Mali on Saturday, Kadri reflected on how his team lost the game, according to La Presse Tunisia.
“I apologize to the public for this result,” said the Lions of Carthage boss Kadri, adding that the players were warned against the Namibian team whose strong points are long passes.
“In the first half, we lacked physical impact, especially in the middle of the field, we did not know how to manage the second ball. The exit of Khenissi in the first quarter of an hour pushed us to make some changes in terms of offensive animation.
“The first half was bad on all counts. We made the necessary changes, particularly in terms of player positioning, which gave us several solutions. We created a few chances, especially from set plays, but we failed to make them happen. We were terribly lacking in efficiency.
“We conceded a harsh goal at the end of the match. I take full responsibility for this defeat. But we still have two more matches to play and we will have the opportunity to catch up."
Kadri went on went on to say that he is confident that his team will prevail against both Mali and Bafana Bafana in the remaining two Group E games.
"We made it difficult for ourselves, but we will be able to get through it in the next two matches.
"We have experienced and talented players who are able to react and take up the challenge,” he added.
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