CHAN: Congo exit sealed by wounded and roaring Nigeria side – Ngatsono

Congo national team coach Barthelemy Ngatsono conceded that his team’s qualification fate in the TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) campaign was sealed by a stronger and wounded Nigeria side, who roared when it mattered most on the final day of group matches.

Congo, who needed a win to keep their own hopes alive, were left devastated, finishing bottom of the pool, following Nigeria’s 2-0 victory at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Tanzania on Tuesday.

The result, sealed by goals from Anas Yusuf and Sikiru Alimi, restored some pride for the Super Eagles after back-to-back defeats had condemned them to an early elimination.

“As I said before the match, it won’t be easy, especially since Nigeria isn’t exactly an easy team,” said Ngatsono. “The opponent was able to control the ball. We tried to make some changes in the second half, but we lacked the necessary focus, and that’s what led to our loss in the match.

“Nigeria were better prepared and physically fit than us, so we couldn’t control the ball as well. Despite our good preparation before the match, we weren’t as good as we had planned.”

He added: “The lessons I learned about our national team were the poor preparations before the start of the tournament. However, our young players did not disappoint. Many of them did not prepare sufficiently, which will push us to strive for better preparation in the future.”

Sudan and Senegal drew 0-0, a result that saw both nations reach the quarter-finals with five points each. The East Africa nation topped the group on goal difference, while Nigeria’s victory lifted them to three points, one short of qualification.

Stay Connected with Pan-Africa Football
Instagram:   / panafricafooty  
Twitter/X: https://x.com/PanAfricaFooty
Facebook:   / panafricafootball