Lapse of concentration caused our defeat to Ghana in U23 AFCON – Coach Cypril Ndonga
Congo U23 coach Cypril Ndonga has attributed his team’s defeat in the TotalEnergies U23 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 to lapses in concentration.
Following their 3-2 loss to Ghana in a Group A match at the Prince Moulay Abdellah sports complex in Rabat on Sunday, Ndonga emphasized the importance of maintaining focus at this stage of the competition.
“We are at the Africa Cup of Nations. We cannot afford to have concentration lapses,” expressed the coach, acknowledging that they must continue to fight as the tournament progresses.
Congo’s team found themselves trailing 3-0 after 90 minutes of play, but they displayed resilience and fought back to score two late goals in added time.
“I’m happy that my team scored. But we woke up in the last moments,” Ndonga explained.
Recognizing the competitiveness of their group, the coach acknowledged the disappointment of failing to win the opening match but remained optimistic about their future performances.
“We are in a very competitive pool. We have failed to win the first match, and now we need to continue fighting because today we are disappointed, but tomorrow we will smile,” said Ndonga.
Having eliminated Tunisia and South Africa in the qualifying campaign, the Congo Brazzaville team arrived in Morocco with a degree of confidence.
However, they understand the need to regroup and put on an improved performance as they prepare to face Guinea on Tuesday, who also suffered a 2-1 defeat to hosts Morocco in the tournament’s opening match on Saturday.
Comments (0)