Africa: Gabon Coach Ibela Ignambi - 'We Have a Lot of Work to Do After Opening Loss'

26 June 2023
Confederation of African Football (Giza)

Gabon coach Obela Ignambi has admitted that his team has a lot of work to do because of their defeat in their opening match at TotalEnergies CAf U23 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 in Morocco.

The Gabonese side suffered a 3-1 defeat to Mali in their Group B match played in Tangier despite taking the lead in the game before allowing their opponents to rally.

Ignambi admits his side must now improve after their opening day defeat going into their second group match of the tournament being played in Morocco.

"We now have work to do and we shall ensure we do it and get better results, " said the coach.

The trainer made it clear that since they will be facing strong opponents in Egypt and Mali in the next two group matches and must work harder to return stronger.

"The defeat will not change our motivation to move forward. We need to continue to pay attention to details, " added Ignambi.

The coach noted that they started well with a quick goal, but added that the red card to their goalkeeper changed the match alot. "It is not easy to play with a player less in such a competition;" he added.

Although the coach says he was surprised by the many goals they conceded, he promised that they will return a stronger side because their target is to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Gabon will return to face Niger in their second Group B match on June 28th.

Read the original article on CAF.

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