CHAN 2024: Sudan coach attributes Congo draw to inactive domestic league

Sudan’s head coach, James Kwesi Appiah, has attributed his team’s draw against Congo in the 2024 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) to the lack of an active league in Sudan.

Sudan took the lead with a goal from Musa Hussein in the 29th minute, but Congo equalised with a goal by Carly Ekongo in the 86th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

Following the match, Appiah stated, “We’ve had no active league back home, which has really affected the players’ fitness levels. It’s not about confidence; they’re just not in peak physical shape. We’re struggling with muscle pulls, and there’s a bit of tactical indiscipline that we need to fix. But overall, I wouldn’t say it was a bad performance.”

He added, “It’s a psychological battle, too. I’ve had to hold a lot of meetings just to get the players mentally ready to play at this level. It’s not easy, but I have to keep motivating them. We have a week to prepare, which gives me a chance to adjust the team and improve things.”

Appiah also credited Congo’s performance, saying, “Congo played well. You can’t underestimate any team at this level. They deserved the draw. Our performance dropped a bit after the first half, and we’ll learn from that.”

In the other Group D match, Senegal narrowly defeated Nigeria.