Head coach of the senior national team of Jamaica Steve McClaren says he is proud of the performance of his players in the final of the Unity Cup despite losing 5-4 on penalties that Nigeria after a 2-2 draw in regulation time, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
The coach saw his team twice come from behind to level scores almost immediately after going behind, leaving him with nothing but praise for the determination and fighting spirit of his players throughout the game.
“So proud of the players in terms of their preparation and the two performances that we put on. We always talk about fighting to the end and that’s what they did,” McClaren said.
“To lose by penalties was disappointing but, as I said the other day, it was a milestone and one which players and staff will all remember for a lifetime. Hopefully, we can do it again soon,” he added.
He went further to praise the speed at which the players have formed a unity among themselves, particularly the way the new players were integrated into the team by the senior players.
“It’s been a tough week. We started with 17 players. We got some reinforcements in and I can’t believe how they’ve come together which again is probably typical Jamaican in how they look after each other and instantly befriend each other and have that vibe and energy with one another. Credit to the senior players because we had a lot of youngsters come into the squad,” McClaren concluded.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
