AFCON 2023: “Football is cruel”- Bosso laments after Flying Eagles’ loss to Gambia

The Flying Eagles had 21 attempts at goal, but they were profligate on the night

Flying Eagles coach Ladan Bosso has expressed disappointment over Nigeria’s loss to Gambia in the semifinal of the 2023 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations.

After beating Uganda and sealing the World Cup ticket, the Flying Eagles were looking to go further and put the icing on the cake by advancing to the final and claiming their eighth AFCON title.

However, Nigeria failed. They suffered an excruciating 1-0 loss to Gambia in the semifinal. The Young Scorpions scored early in the first half. Potent striker Adama Bojang capitalized on a poor pass from Daniel Bameyi in Nigeria’s defense and scored a good goal after just seven minutes.

The Flying Eagles bossed the game after falling behind. They had over 60 percent of the possession and 21 goal attempts, including one from the penalty spot.

Unfortunately, they failed to take any of them and they were knocked out of the competition after the 1-0 loss.

Nigeria coach Bosso was left disappointed after the game as he admitted that his team did not do enough.

 

“We lost stupidly, we were naive from the start,” Bosso said per the CAF website.

“We failed to take our chances and we also missed the penalty in the 86th minute.

“I am very frustrated because we had a team that could go all the way. Football is cruel.

“We didn’t measure up. I congratulate The Gambia for winning,” he added.

 

Nigeria will take on Tunisia on Friday in the third-place match, and they would look to claim the bronze medal.

This post was last modified on March 7, 2023 1:27 pm

Kelvin Omachonu

Kelvin Omachonu is a writer with many years of experience covering sports events in Nigeria and abroad. He is fueled by his love for the job, and is dedicated to delivering captivating stories.

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