PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
2015 AFCON qualifiers: I knew Super Eagles would lose to Congo, says Coach Stephen Keshi
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - Super Eagles Coach Stephen Keshi, has said he saw Nigeria's 2-3 defeat to Congo, in their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday, coming, according to the local PUNCH newspaper.
The African champions are now third in Group A of the qualifiers behind leaders South Africa and Congo while Sudan are last on the log following the dismal performance in Calabar, South South Nigeria, on Saturday.
“I’m very disappointed. It was not just the result but the way we played in the first half. I was like a soothsayer because I saw it coming and I talked to the boys that they had to be aggressive and first to the ball," the paper quoted Keshi as saying.
“I’ve played against the Congolese team before and I know they play tip-tap football. We scored the first goal and that was it. It’s a shame that we had opportunities, mostly in the second half, but we could not score,” Keshi said immediately after the game.
Keshi said, during the half-time period, he charged the players in the dressing room in a bid to restore pride but admitted that his team was frustrated by the defensive and delay tactics of their opponents.
He added, “I told them they were not playing their game. They were not themselves, they were not playing, they were second to the ball and they needed to change the mentality. They came back in the second half and you could see the difference. But if you are playing a team like this, they are going to come hard and park the bus. And that’s what they did in the second half. Who won’t do it?
“I can understand the frustration, the Congolese team delaying the game, killing the game. It became an anger problem and its part of the game."
-0- PANA VAO 7Sept2014
The African champions are now third in Group A of the qualifiers behind leaders South Africa and Congo while Sudan are last on the log following the dismal performance in Calabar, South South Nigeria, on Saturday.
“I’m very disappointed. It was not just the result but the way we played in the first half. I was like a soothsayer because I saw it coming and I talked to the boys that they had to be aggressive and first to the ball," the paper quoted Keshi as saying.
“I’ve played against the Congolese team before and I know they play tip-tap football. We scored the first goal and that was it. It’s a shame that we had opportunities, mostly in the second half, but we could not score,” Keshi said immediately after the game.
Keshi said, during the half-time period, he charged the players in the dressing room in a bid to restore pride but admitted that his team was frustrated by the defensive and delay tactics of their opponents.
He added, “I told them they were not playing their game. They were not themselves, they were not playing, they were second to the ball and they needed to change the mentality. They came back in the second half and you could see the difference. But if you are playing a team like this, they are going to come hard and park the bus. And that’s what they did in the second half. Who won’t do it?
“I can understand the frustration, the Congolese team delaying the game, killing the game. It became an anger problem and its part of the game."
-0- PANA VAO 7Sept2014
