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AFCON: South Africa’s Coach Baxter Speaks After Defeat To Super Eagles

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AFCON South Africa Stuart Baxter
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Coach of the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, Stuart Baxter has said that it is difficult to find positives after he lost to the quarterfinals match of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

Naija News reports that Baxter said this while reacting to the 2-1 loss to the Super Eagles in the quarterfinals of the AFCON in Egypt.

Baxter while speaking during a post-match interview said his boys tried their best by playing according to instructions, although could not just defeat the Eagles in the AFCON match of Wednesday, July 10.

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His words captured by Naija News, Baxter was quoted to have told reporters that; “It’s difficult when you’ve lost a game in the dying minutes. It’s difficult to find positives.

“I am sure that in one week’s time, I will find some positives. At this moment, I am finding it very difficult.

“But we were brave enough to get on the ball in tight spaces in the first half and brave enough to press higher and we tried to do that better in the second half.

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“We tried to get a better more mobile possession which gave Nigeria more problems but we still couldn’t find that last strike on goal to get there.”

He noted that his team lost to “a better and more organised Super Eagles who were very dangerous on the flanks.

“Nigeria was always dangerous. They were really well organised and had good players and we didn’t defend as well as we could.

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“We were trying to press higher and left some spaces, especially in the flanks where their good players could attack, while we didn’t have support to get there.

“But then, you make your choices as a coach. You go defensive and try to take them one-on-one and force the game to extra-time and win the game.

“So, we tried to win the game but we lost it in the dying minutes, which is very difficult to take,” he said.

In his interaction with reporters, Baxter congratulated the Super Eagles team and coach over the well-deserved victory.

“But congratulations to Gernot and his team. I am sure they’ll be one of the teams that will be competing to lift the trophy at the end of the tournament,” he said.

The victory of the Eagles in the quarterfinals match now qualifies the Eagles for a semifinals match in the Cup of Nations league.