USM Algers coach Juan Carlos Garrido has praised his team’s performance despite their narrow 1-0 loss to Rivers United in the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinal first leg.
The Spanish tactician acknowledged the challenge posed by the quality of their opponents and highlighted the adverse conditions they faced during the match.
“As we expected, it was a very difficult match, a tough match, because of the quality of the opponent, of course, that we respect a lot and they were doing a good match and now they scored one goal and they are a favorite in this moment,” Garrido stated.
Garrido pointed out that playing the match during Ramadan posed additional challenges for his players, who were fasting during daylight hours.
The coach emphasized the impact of fasting on their fitness levels and performance during the game.
“And also because we played this game, as you maybe you will know in Ramadan, so not eating, not drinking, and of course, the conditions, the fitness conditions, not worse, of course, the perfect conditions,” Garrido explained.
Furthermore, Garrido expressed his opinion on the timing of the match, suggesting that playing in more favourable weather conditions would have been preferable.
He also called for respect for Ramadan and consideration for the players observing the religious fast.
“To play at two o ‘clock with this weather, this is the time for the local club to choose, okay, but in my opinion, it’s much better for the competition to play in good weather conditions and also respecting that now in Ramadan,” Garrido remarked.
Despite the challenges, Garrido commended his players for their efforts and resilience throughout the match.
He emphasized their determination to bounce back in the second leg and demonstrate the quality of their team.
“So we are now in this moment, the only team in Algeria playing for this competition, of course, we want to be respected, we want to play to win and we want to show in the next match that we have good players and a good team,” Garrido concluded.
