Flying Eagles Coach, John Obuh, has said his team will not dwell on Sunday’s 0-1 loss to Mali in a 2013 African Youth Championship Group B match at the Stade Ahmed Zabana in Oran, Algeria.
Obuh said they will now focus on Wednesday’s must-win clash against Gabon.
“We can’t afford to dwell on the defeat by Mali. We just must be strong mentally for our next game against Gabon so that we win and stay alive in the competition,” said Obuh after Sunday’s setback.
“It was unfortunate we lost as we did not plan to do so. We knew they will come out strongly against us, but we must now look to our next game.”
Obuh bemoaned his team’s poor finishing in a game they bossed from start to finish.
“We had every opportunity to win this match, but we lost a lot of chances,” he lamented.
“We just needed to score one goal and we would have gone on to win this match.
“We were too much in a hurry in front of goal, but I believe we will correct this problem before Wednesday.”
Mali grabbed their match winner after just 13 minutes through a shot from inside the box by Adama Niane after a poor clearance from a corner by the Flying Eagles defence.
Thereafter the Flying Eagles piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser.
Chidi Osuchukwu fired at the Mali goal on 22 minutes, but it missed target narrowly and two minutes later Kayode delivered a low cross into the box but it was superbly dealt with by goalkeeper Ali Yirango.
The lively Kayode continued to trouble the Mali defence and even had a headed effort in the 28th minute ruled offside.
The former Asec Mimosas striker would then in the 41st minute see his goal-bound chip over onrushing skipper Yirango cleared off the goal line by Ousmane Keita.
A minute after the restart, substitute Edafe Egbedi missed a free header off a corner and 10 minutes later, man of the match Kayode’s header off Alhaji Gero overhead kick also missed the mark.
Kayode was too stylish to connect a Gero low drive after 67th minute as Mali continued to soak the pressure, with big centre back Boubacar Diarra outstanding.
And a three minutes to the end of the match, Gero missed a sitter when he only had to tap the ball into an empty net with the Mali goalkeeper beaten.
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