AFCON: Why we lost 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea – Ivory Coast head coach

Ivory Coast head coach, Jean-Louis Gasset, has offered an explanation for his team’s 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) encounter on Monday.

Gasset, expressing his disappointment, characterized the match outcome as a nightmare and pointed out that Ivory Coast lacked efficiency in front of goal against Equatorial Guinea.

During his post-match press interview, Gasset stated, “It is a nightmare. We had prepared well for this match and started off well by taking the initiative. We had possession and opportunities, but we couldn’t convert them. Conversely, even the slightest chance for our opponents resulted in a goal. In football, efficiency is crucial. Equatorial Guinea gave us a lesson in realism.”

He continued, “Do I still believe we can qualify? Certainly. We’ve won one match out of three, and we have supporters behind us. However, relying on the results of others is not a good sign.”

Gasset remains hopeful that Ivory Coast can secure a spot in the Round of 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams, provided Cameroon fails to defeat Gambia on Tuesday.