Paynesville City — LISCR FC coach Sam Chebli has attributed his team's defeat to Bo Rangers in the second leg of the CAF Champions League preliminary round to their slow performance on the field. The Shipping Boys lost 1-0, resulting in their elimination from the competition with a 2-1 aggregate scoreline in favor of Bo Rangers.
Bo Rangers secured the match's opening goal through a 4th-minute strike by forward Suffian Kalokoh, which propelled them to the next stage of the competition. In a post-match press conference, Chebli expressed his shock at his players' performance in the first half of the match, emphasizing the need for better passing and decision-making.
"You don't go onto the pitch to make simple mistakes, especially in a game like this. We should have identified our weaknesses and strengths to correct and balance them," Chebli commented. "I was surprised by our slowness on the field, and I kept urging them to push harder."
Chebli further explained that during halftime, he urged his players to be more aggressive in their approach and to make quicker and more decisive passes. He stressed the importance of being faster than the opponent, leading to improved moments in the second half.
Despite the disappointing first-half display, the Shipping Boys believed they were denied a possible penalty when Darius Kah was brought down in the box. Chebli acknowledged the team's right to appeal for a penalty but chose not to dwell on it. He, however, expressed his belief that the referee had deprived his side of a potential penalty.
"As a coach, I don't want to dwell on whether it was a penalty or not. It's part of the game. But yes, I consider it a penalty, and I felt that the referee deprived us of it. However, I don't want to attribute our loss solely to that incident because we had other opportunities."
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Chebli pointed out that Bo Rangers had an advantage in terms of preparation compared to his team. Bo Rangers had participated in competitive friendly matches in Guinea, while LISCR had withdrawn from a similar tournament they were invited to. Chebli emphasized the importance of experience and exposure in football, suggesting that Bo Rangers had an edge in this regard.
"We (LISCR) were part of that competition, but we withdrew and trained here. Football is about timing and experience. Sometimes, participating in friendly matches outside can help improve the players' mentality. So yes, we can say they had an edge in that aspect."
In conclusion, Coach Sam Chebli identified his team's slow performance, lack of aggression, and missed penalty as contributing factors to their defeat, acknowledging that Bo Rangers had an advantage in terms of preparation and experience.
