Beaten, but not embarrassed :: Mmegi Online

Gone are the days when we were the ‘whipping boys’ of African football. Gone are the days when we regularly conceded many goals. Gone are the days when we were taken lightly and a sure bet for a hammering. Nowadays, we are taken seriously and worthy competition for any opponent.

We are no longer a walk in the park for many sides, who used to hammer us. Just last week we were knocked out of the Russia2018 World Cup qualifiers. We put up a spirited performance against the more fancied Mali who beat us by a narrow margin over two legs. We won home, and we lost away. We should have won by more at home, and we shouldn’t have lost in Mali.

This is yet another point where we need to take a step back and reflect on progress, what we have been doing right, what we have not been doing right and where we can improve and how. I would think there are regular check points on progress and this is the time to do a post mortem of the Russia2018 qualifiers as well as the other past immediate tournaments.

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