‘ I did not have time ‘ – Ladan Bosso blames Nigeria African games early exit on poor preparation

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles head coach, Ladan Bosso has blamed the teams group stage exit at the African games on poor preparations stating he did not have time to scout players.

Nigeria’s hopes of progressing to the semi-finals of the 13th African Games were dashed by Senegal, following a 3-2 defeat on Friday, March 15.

The Nigerian side fell short in their bid to secure a semi-final spot, despite a promising start to the match against Senegal in Group B.

The encounter saw Nigeria take the lead as early as the second minute through Charles Agada. However, Senegal’s Idrissa Traore equalized in the 21st minute with a well-placed shot past the Nigerian goalkeeper.

Traore netted his second goal just six minutes later, giving Senegal the lead for the first time in the match. Chibuzor Izuogu brought Nigeria back into contention with a brilliant free-kick to level the score at 2-2.

Nevertheless, Senegal’s Pape Diouf sealed the fate of the Nigerian team with a penalty-kick goak, securing Senegal’s place in the semi-finals and ending Nigeria’s aspirations.

Expressing his disappointment after the match, Coach Bosso lamented the outcome and acknowledged the challenges he faced in selecting the squad.

“I’m disappointed because this game was the best we have played so far in this tournament,” Bosso stated. “I didn’t have enough time to scout for players, and what I did was to watch a few games in Uyo and other places. That’s where I saw the two Enyimba players, Daga and Chibueze.”

Looking ahead, Bosso emphasised the need for early preparation for future tournaments, highlighting the shortcomings of the 13-day preparation period for the African Games.

“The lesson is that we need to prepare very well for future tournaments,” Bosso asserted. “The idea of preparing for a tournament in 13 days is really not the best. But we can take positives from the fact that some players in this squad can be nurtured for the future and possibly play for the national team.”

Despite the setback, Bosso acknowledged the team’s efforts to improve with each match, citing their performance against Senegal as the best of the tournament.