Black Princesses head coach Yussif Basigi optimistic ahead of crucial clash against Japan
Head Coach Yussif Basigi remains optimistic about the Black Princesses’ chances in their upcoming game against Japan, despite a challenging 2-1 defeat to Austria in their opening match of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
Reflecting on the performance, Basigi acknowledged the slow start but praised his team’s resurgence in the second half, where they dominated play and created numerous scoring opportunities.
“We started the game slowly, but towards the latter part of the first half, we began raising our game. In the second half, we dominated play even when we were down by a goal,” Basigi stated.
However, he expressed disappointment over the missed chances that could have changed the outcome of the match. “We didn’t utilize many of our goal-scoring chances, which was unfortunate.
This is an area we need to polish so that we can get back into contention.”
Basigi emphasized the importance of maintaining intensity throughout the match. “The second-half performance was very good.
If we had started the first half like we did in the second, it would have been a different story. But we started slowly.”
While acknowledging the pressure to perform, Basigi remains motivated and focused on improvement.
He believes the team has the potential to bounce back in the remaining group games.
“I wouldn’t say there is no pressure because if we had won or drawn against Austria, it would’ve given us a boost. Now, we have no choice but to go all out in the next two games.”
The Black Princesses will face Japan in a crucial Group E encounter on Thursday, September 5, 2024, and are determined to make a strong comeback with a renewed sense of purpose and focus.
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