Morlaye Cisse, the head coach of Guinea's U23 team, has expressed an even greater appetite to secure a place in the Paris Olympics following their narrow defeat in the first semi-final of the TotalEnergies CAF U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023, played in Tangier on Tuesday.

Despite their 1-0 loss in the semi-final against holders Egypt, the Guinea team now faces the challenge of winning the upcoming play-off game on Friday to secure their spot in the Paris Olympics.

Cisse acknowledged that although his team had made efforts to perform well, he was disappointed with the outcome of the match. "The match was fast-paced, and the Egyptian team capitalized on their opportunity. However, we are still determined to qualify for the Olympics," Cisse emphasized.

The coach highlighted that while Guinea had created scoring opportunities, his players failed to convert them. "There was a lot of emotion on the pitch, and my players are understandably disappointed, some even shedding tears," he added.

Cisse took the opportunity to apologize to the people of Guinea for not guiding the team to the final. He urged the Guinean population to continue dreaming big and support the young players, as the country possesses great football potential.

During the post-match press conference, the coach's emotions were evident, and he made a promise to his team and the nation. "We will work tirelessly to secure a victory in the third-place match and secure our qualification for the Olympics," Cisse declared.

With their hunger for Olympic qualification intensified, Guinea's U23 team will strive to bounce back from their semi-final defeat and secure their place in the prestigious Paris Olympics.