Mali midfielder Mamady Diambou has admitted to being disappointed after they lost to Morocco in the semi-finals of the 2023 Caf U23 Africa Cup of Nations tournament on Tuesday night.
Following a hard-fought 2-2 draw, the hosts emerged victorious in a penalty shootout, prevailing 4-3 in a match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday. Diambou, who scored one of Mali’s goals, was named Man of the Match for his outstanding performance.
“We lacked efficiency. If you analyse all of our matches, you’ll notice this frustrating pattern of scoring an early goal,” he told CafOnline after the game, adding: “We must address our errors before the match against Guinea, where we still have a chance to secure our qualification for the Paris Olympic Games.”
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On his Man of the Match away, Diambou said: “Considering tonight’s match, the entire team deserves the Man of the Match accolade. We demonstrated character, gave our all, and depart with a sense of disappointment.”
In the final, scheduled to take place on Saturday in Rabat, Morocco will face defending champions Egypt, while Guinea and Mali will contend for the third Paris Olympic slot in the play-off on Friday in Tangier.