Queiroz: I’m ready to sit it out
IF Egypt are to extend their record haul of Africa Cup of Nations titles to eight with victory over Senegal tonight, they will have do it without the help of their head coach.
Former Manchester United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz was handed a two-match touchline ban by CAF after being sent off during the Pharaohs’ semifinal win over Cameroon.
He repeatedly clashed with the officials before being dismissed from the dugout prior to his players securing passage via a penalty shootout after a 0-0 draw.
But he struck an unapologetic tone on social media ahead of the final, which he will have to watch from the stands.
He wrote: “Lads, I am ready to pay the price of this outrageous and unfair punishment.
“I feel proud and honoured for that because I pay this price in my fight to protect you and our team from such arrogant behaviour and what I expect and hope was only incompetency and nothing else.
“We will reinforce with more power our strategy that was built up, with your efforts and sacrifices, developing our winning and team mentality.”
Queiroz’s opposite number, Aliou Cisse, takes his team into the final, having already proven many of his critics wrong.
But Liverpool forward Sadio Mane is determined to go one step further in Yaounde to reward a coach who he believes has been treated unfairly.
“He deserves everything because he’s the most criticised coach I’ve ever seen, but he never gives up,” Mane told the BBC.
“He trusts himself, he trusts the group. He has critics outside, but right here he is doing his job.
“Most importantly, we would like to win this for him and our country.”