Failure to take chances was our bane- says El-Merreikh Coach

Kumasi Sept. 2, GNA - Michael Crugger, Coach of El-Merreikh of Sudan has attributed the team's 0-1 loss to Kumasi Asante Kotoko FC in their CAF Confederation Championship encounter to poor shooting at goal by his attackers.

"We could have sealed the game as early as the first half if my players had taken their time to convert the clear-cut chances that came their way", he told the GNA Sports in an interview after the match at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi. The Coach insisted that in spite of the mishap, the playing body did very well by playing to his tactics, especially in defence and midfield, saying, this prevented the marauding Kotoko attack from playing to their own strategy.

Coach Crugger said the match against Kotoko had taught El-Merreikh many useful lessons and that his outfit was preparing feverishly to win their next game against Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia to enable them keep their hopes alive.

On officiating, Coach Crugger lauded the match officials for living up to expectation and hoped they would keep up such sterling performance in subsequent games. He told the GNA Sports that the technical team was working hard to psyche up the players to help them put the defeat behind them and concentrate on the other assignments ahead of them to benefit the team. 02 Sept. 08