ACTUALITE |
02.02.2002
I got it wrong admits Michel after Tunisia Nations Cup flop
BAMAKO
Tunisia coach Henri Michel admitted he had to take his share of the blame here Friday following the World Cup qualifiers` humiliating first-round exit at the African Nations Cup.
Michel, who saw his team bow out after they could only finish Group D in third place, said he had overestimated the abilities of his squad and now needed a rethink.
The veteran Frenchman was an outspoken critic of Tunisia`s players during their campaign, at one point bemoaning the physical, tactical, technical and mental weakenesses of the squad.
But speaking here Friday as the Carthage Eagles prepared to head for home, Michel acknowledged he too was at fault for the flop.
"I was wrong. I thought the team were at a certain level because of some results and that we could continue just as we had been doing," he said.
"But we must now change our work ethic and our mentality."
Michel said if Tunisia were to avoid a similar fate at the World Cup this summer, there would need to be sweeping changes.
"If we want to go to the World Cup, if we want to progress, there need to be changes in a lot of areas - how we operate, the way we act, the squad, the players, the officials," he said.
Michel, who has only been in the Tunisia hotseat since November last year, said he planned to discuss his future with officials from the federation soon.
Tunisia were the only one of Africa`s five World Cup entrants to fail to reach the second round. Along with Togo they were also the only side to fail to score before being eliminated.
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Hits: 1 | Source:Dailysoccer | |
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