Chosen Generation Angels FC’s coach, Victor Abagu has heaped a lot of blame on his strikers for failing to convert chances during Sunday’s 5-1 loss to Papa Soccer Angels of Lagos in this year’s Nigerian Women Football League (NWFL) Championship play-offs.
However, while also citing a lack of experience on the part of his players for the heavy defeat, Abagu told sports247.ng that he would work on all the lapses before their next match on Monday.
Read Also: Medal Alert: Mariam Eniola Bolaji Wins Nigeria’s First Medal At Paris 2024 Paralympics
Abagu reasoned further that his players will have a stronger mentality and better approach after learning many lessons from Sunday’s loss at Saint Patrick College, Calabar.
“I think the girls were a bit disturbed,” the outspoken tactician began.
“I will also say it was stage fright that affected them; being the first time they are playing in this type of competition.
“I think that affected them a lot, but we came back blazing in the second half.”
He then praised younger players in the squad for turning the game around and helping them net a consolation goal, but admitted that those he relied on let the team down.
Abagu added: “Though we conceded five goals, we came out blazing in the second half when we made changes.
“Those new players that changed the game are even the young ones in our team … age 13, age 14.
“Those are the ones that actually came on board to change the game, and one of them got our only goal … a 14-year-old girl.”
He also took consolation in the fact that Chosen Generation Angels is an emerging team, but enthused that they will keep getting better once he is able to work on their lapses in defence and attack.
“We are still a work in progress, and I believe we’ll do better in our next game. The deficiencies we noticed in our defence will be strictly worked on, and we’ll be able to match up to our opponents.
“Football is a game in which you need to learn your lessons whenever anything goes wrong.
“We had like two, three chances that we could have scored in the first half, but our strikers were nowhere to be found, and they couldn’t convert any.
“Even the striker we depended on, who was the highest goals scorer in the Nationwide League, had her chances, but she couldn’t bury them.”
Abagu, though, concluded with a tone of enthusiasm, as he promised to work on the psychological base of his players before their last group match on Monday.
“Those are the things we are going to work on before we play our next match.
“At the same time, the players who couldn’t rise up to the occasion, we will work on their psyche.
“We will check the psychological aspect of our team to see what made them to be so down in this match.
“We’ll then work to correct all our deficiencies,” Abagu submitted
