“We were tired that was why Super Eagles won” — Angola coach

In the aftermath of a disappointing performance against the Super Eagles, Angola’s coach, Pedro Gonçalves, has attributed his team’s subpar display to fatigue while acknowledging the superior qualities of the Nigerian squad. Gonçalves made these comments in a post-match statement during the conference.

Addressing the media, Gonçalves pointed out the logistical challenges his team faced during the tournament compared to Nigeria.

He highlighted that while the Super Eagles stayed in Abidjan throughout the competition, Angola had to navigate through three different cities, contributing to their weariness.

“Nigeria have never left Abidjan since the start of the tournament, but we (Angola) have played in about three cities. Truthfully, fatigue also played a path in our performance but it still no excuse. Let’s just commend ourselves for getting this far”

Despite citing fatigue as a factor, Gonçalves was quick to stress that it should not be considered an excuse, urging commendation for both teams’ efforts in reaching this stage of the tournament.

In offering congratulations to the Nigerian team, Gonçalves emphasized the strength of their squad, describing it as “very strong.”

He admitted that the game was demanding and expressed admiration for the efficiency displayed by the Super Eagles. Gonçalves candidly addressed the performance of his strikers, acknowledging that they fell short in the match.

The Angola coach discouraged any inclination towards mourning the defeat, emphasizing the importance of accepting reality and showing a positive attitude.

He refuted the notion that his players were intimidated or starstruck by the Nigerian counterparts, instead pointing to the quality of the Nigerian squad as a decisive factor in the outcome of the match.

In Gonçalves’ words,

“It’s not like my players were scared or star struck at the Nigerian players. But when you’re faced with reality, you must accept it. Which players are you playing against? What are their qualities? Nigeria has quality, and it showed.”