Egypt’s head coach Mahmud Gaber says their failure to recover from the shock of conceding a goal pulled them down against Nigeria on Wednesday.
Sporting Tribune reports that the lone goal sealed the fate of the hosts in the match at the Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Wednesday.
The Flying Eagles beat hosts Egypt 1-0 in the Group A match at the Cairo International Stadium.
The Young Pharaohs created numerous chances to go in front but they lacked the cutting edge to convert the opportunities.
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Now, Gaber says his team were under pressure after going behind to Solomon Agbalaka’s header.
“The players were very tense after the goal and felt under pressure, and this greatly affected them,” the former Ismaily FC coach said.
“We missed many opportunities, and if we were focused, we would have decided the match in our favour.”
The hosts drew goalless with Mozambique in the tournament’s opening match.
They now sit in third place with a solitary point ahead of Saturday’s must-win match against high-flying Senegal.
“….. we are holding on to our hopes and we will fight to complete the campaign. Senegal are a strong team, but we will fight for the victory and to qualify.”
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