Tite reveals he accelerated Hakim Ziyech’s debut

Hakim Ziyech made his debut with Botafogo on Saturday during the defeat against Mirassol (2-0) in the Brazilian championship. Coming on at halftime, the Moroccan international was initially expected to have much more limited playing time. After the match, Tite acknowledged that he had intentionally accelerated Ziyech’s integration, convinced by what his new player had already demonstrated.

“Ziyech brings individual technical quality. I even accelerated his process more than I should have,” explained the Botafogo coach at a press conference. The staff had initially planned for a much later introduction: “The plan was to give him 30 minutes, 20 minutes, 15 minutes. I said no, precisely because of his quality and the needs of the team. At halftime, I decided to put him in for the quality he showed.”

Tite also provided several indications about the role he wishes to assign to the former Ajax and Chelsea player. “He is a player who can play wide, as a midfielder, or as a number 10 with creative freedom,” the Brazilian coach continued. This versatility could offer several solutions for Botafogo in the coming weeks, particularly in offensive creation.

For his first appearance, Ziyech ended up playing the entire second half, even though his return to competition was supposed to be much more gradual. Despite the defeat, the Atlas Lion showed some interesting sequences with the ball at his feet, even if he understandably still lacks rhythm after several weeks without competition.

After the match, the Moroccan acknowledged that he was not yet in his best physical condition. He described the result as “disappointing” and felt that his team needed to “do more and create more chances.” Ziyech also explained that he wanted to bring creativity, goals, and assists, while helping Botafogo in different phases of the game.

This first outing did not allow Botafogo to bring back a positive result from Mirassol, but it already provided a first glimpse of the confidence Tite has in Ziyech. While his playing time was initially supposed to be limited to a few minutes, the Moroccan ended up being brought on for an entire half, a sign that his coach intends to rely on his technical qualities quickly.