CHAN: Mauritania’s López Garai frustrated to lose against Tanzania

Mauritania head coach Aritz López Garai had admitted to being disappointed with the outcome of their game against Tanzania in 2024 TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium on Wednesday.

After holding the hosts 0-0 for the better part of the game, Taifa Stars remained on course for a place in the quarter-finals following a hard-fought 1-0 win, thanks to a late strike from veteran defender Shomari Kapombe.

The tense Group B clash remained 0-0 until the 89th minute when Kapombe latched onto a clever through ball from Iddy Nado and slotted past Abderrahmane Sarr to spark wild celebrations from the home fans.

“This is football as we know it. You can play well, dominate, and still lose at the very end. We controlled the match and played well. I think we just needed more concentration throughout. Unfortunately, we lost, and that’s hard to take,” López Garai told the media as quoted by CAFOnline.com.

He added: “Yes, I believe we played a serious game. There was pressure, and we handled it well. At the beginning, Tanzania were nervous because they couldn’t find a goal early. Now, we must win our next game. It won’t be easy.”

He further revealed his frustrations by saying: “Tanzania scored from half a chance, and that’s frustrating. That’s the reality of football—logic doesn’t always prevail.”

On the quality of Tanzania, he said: “Tanzania is a strong team. Their fans created pressure on both sides. I believe our players played good football and created chances. The Tanzanian players are good, and I said earlier they are favourites in our group. They’re also one of the top contenders to win the tournament. I think they’ll qualify from our group, maybe even top it.”

Mauritania will need nothing less than a win against Burkina Faso to keep alive their hopes of making it from the group.