Benin played beyond expectation - Attuquayefio

Accra, Feb 20, GNA - Sir Cecil Jones Attuquayefio, head coach of the Benin national team has said that his team played above expectation in the just ended African Cup of Nation's held in Tunisia where they were exited in the group stage.

Coach Attuquayefio said "I was surprised about the output of my boys but even though we did not travel that far, we did not disgrace ourselves " was the coach's accession when the GNA Sports spoke with him in Accra on Friday.

The Coach said his team was a young one and only went to the tournament to grasp experience for their future outing, adding that "and I am now more than convinced that our aim was achieved as planned".

The former Africa's number one coach said he was optimistic that the experience gathered from the tournament would aid the Benin national to chalk success when they line-up against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Sudan and Ivory Coast in the Germany 2006 World Cup qualifiers that is expected to start in June.

In defence of his boys, the coach said they were too inexperienced to upstage the likes of the Nigerian, South African and Moroccan teams which he called "the idols of his squad", adding that "there we were, playing along side such teams we had always called our mentors and against teams that we have been hoping to even see play in live matches rather than becoming their opponents at that time" he stressed.

The former Hearts coach who described his boys' as amateurs added that they could not believe that they were playing against their perceived hero's and therefore attributed their performance at the tournament to their inexperience.

On his future with the Benin national team, the coach said his employers were pleased with the exposure gained and he would as such be in charge of the team through the World Cup qualifiers until his two-year term ends in August.

" The entire nation was proud of our exposure and gave us a rousing welcome upon our return and we are poised to continue from there when I begin work in April" he said.

Sir Attuquayefio said he will be touring Europe from April to check on the condition of his players before re - assembling the squad and added he was optimistic of getting an improved squad to take their opponents by storm in the qualifying matches.

On his current link to a supposed move to either Kumasi Asante Kotoko or Accra Hearts of Oak who have both in recent times sacked their coaches, Sir Jones said he was yet to be contacted by any of the clubs. He however, disclosed that until his appointment with Benin ends in August it would be difficult for any club to lure him because of the commitment signed with his current employers.

"The Beninoise have shown so much appreciation, respect and love towards me and the output of the team and I have therefore no reason to turn my back on them until they decide otherwise, They deserve better and it is appropriate that all must recognise" he said.

Coach Attuquayefio made history last year when he emerged the first Black Coach to be employed by Benin and the first coach to have qualified them to their first Cup of Nation's competition when he was employed at a time the West Africans had no pedigree as far as African soccer was concerned.

He guided the team to record a lone goal in their last game against the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the Nation's Cup in the four-week fiesta where they were grouped alongside, South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco. 20 Feb 04