The head coach of the senior national team of South Africa Hugo Broos says his team were unlucky not to be beat the Super Eagles of Nigeria in yesterday’s Africa Cup of Nations semi final game, which Nigeria won 4-3 on penalties.
Both teams were locked at 1-1 at full time and not even extra time despite South Africa having a man sent off in the second half of extra time. The game was dragged to the lottery of penalty kicks.
Stanley Nwabali the goalkeeper for the senior national team of Nigeria emerged as the hero for the Super Eagles stopping two penalties, with Ola Aina the only Nigerian player to miss from the spot.
After the game, Broos lamented the fact that his team didn’t seal the game in regulation time as they created the better chances and overall played better than Nigeria.
“Football can be hard,” Broos said after the match according to quotes on idiski times.
“When you see the performance of my team today and then there is penalties and you lose the game, you’re not in the final, it’s hard to accept that, because we played a very good game today.
“I think we were the best team first half, we had the best chances. Nigeria didn’t have one chance, no, nothing. Second half, ok, they had a few chances adn scored.
“But then we changed something tactically and we could come back but two minutes before the end of the 90 minutes we had again three chances. So if we could score there, it’s us going to the final and not Nigeria.
“Ok, that can happen in football. It’s a big disappointment for everyone because we feel that we played a very good game today, that we played a very good AFCON.
“I’m very, very proud of it. I’m proud of my players. The disappointment is this, but the proudness is that.
“What they performed, not only today, I think you have to be proud as a coach. Yes, it’s a defeat and you see you played a very bad game against Cape Verde and you win with penalties and today you play a very good game against Nigeria and you lose with penalties.
“That’s also football. But again, we have only to think about the way we played this AFCON. And I think everyone knows South Africa as a good playing team and that is the most important.”
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
