Tanzania’s head coach, Miguel Gamondi, has revealed that the cold climate in Morocco is proving challenging for some of his players as they prepare for their opening Group C match against Nigeria’s Super Eagles at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.
The Taifa Stars are based in Fes for the group stage, where they will also take on 2004 AFCON winners Tunisia and regional rivals Uganda. Weather conditions have been a major subject of discussion ahead of the tournament, as Morocco’s climate is noticeably cooler than what many African teams are accustomed to.
Temperatures across the host cities generally fall between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius during the day, with much colder conditions at night. Fes stands out as one of the chilliest venues, with daytime temperatures hovering around 14 degrees and nighttime readings dropping to about 6 degrees. Other cities such as Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir experience slight variations, but cool evenings are common.
After a training session at the Mohammed VI Football Academy in Rabat, Gamondi admitted that the cold has affected a few players, but insisted that adjusting to the conditions is unavoidable.
“The weather is the same for all teams, so it’s not an excuse,” Gamondi said. “We are more used to warm weather, and some players are finding the cold difficult, but adaptation is part of the job. Even during our training camp in Cairo, the weather was cold.”
The Argentine coach also expressed confidence in Tanzania’s preparations ahead of the clash with Nigeria, praising the facilities and team morale.
“Our preparation has been solid. The conditions here are excellent, and we are doing everything possible to get the team ready,” he added. “The atmosphere in camp is very positive, and we are proud and excited to represent Tanzania at this Africa Cup of Nations.”
Tuesday’s encounter will be only the second AFCON meeting between Tanzania and Nigeria. Their first meeting dates back to the opening match of the 1980 tournament, where Tanzania suffered a 3–1 defeat.
