Nigeria’s interim head coach Austin Eguavoen has defended his team’s performance in the goalless rest from the first leg of their 2022 World Cup play-off against Ghana on Friday at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.
The encounter was cagey with a few clear cut chances created between the Super Eagles and the Black Stars, but it was also not an impressive performance from either side overall, and Eguavoen suggests the best result in the circumstance could only be a draw.
“We wanted to win the game,” the Super Eagles Coach said in his post match presser.
“We truly wanted to win, but if we couldn’t get a win at least settle for a draw and that’s exactly what happened.”
Eguavoen explained that his team encountered problems that weren’t envisaged.
He gave the Black Stars credit for their quick reaction and ability to win second balls, a factor he admitted may have caused his players to come second in 1v1 situations particularly in the middle.
“Organisation was very good. For the fact that Ghana moved the ball really good but we organized and we were in position.
“They combined well in all the lines; the three lines, the only thing is that we didn’t react quickly after an action so that’s something we have to work on try as much as possible to get behind the ball because you cannot let Ghanaian players freedom on the ball because they’re very technically very good.”
