Mario Rogerio Reis Micale, the head coach of Egypt's U23 team, expressed his admiration for his players' performance despite their loss to Morocco in the final of the TotalEnergies U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023.
In a gripping final held at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat, hosts Morocco emerged victorious with a 2-1 win over the 10-man Egyptian team.
During the post-match press conference, Micale acknowledged that his team had dominated the game until a red card was issued to one of his players. "I want to thank the players for their hard work," Micale added.
He further explained that even after the red card, his team continued to press forward and create scoring opportunities.
"I congratulate the Egyptian team for their performance despite the defeat," added Micale, who had previously won an Olympic Games gold medal with the Brazil team.
Micale also expressed gratitude towards the Moroccan fans for creating a fantastic atmosphere at the stadium.
"Although I am disappointed and saddened because we had planned a winning strategy, unfortunately, the red card disrupted our plans," explained Micale.
However, he emphasized that his young players have learned valuable lessons from this tournament and will prepare diligently to perform even better at the Paris Olympic Games next year.
