Nigeria sole representative in the year Confederation of Africa Football Champions League, Lobi Stars head coach, Solomon Ogbeide says his team made too many mistakes in the defeat to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in Saturday’s clash but insists they have learnt valuable experience from it.
Sundowns got the job done in the first half with all three goals coming from Thapelo Morena, Themba Zwane and Lebohang Maboe as the game was put to bed before the break.
It took just two minutes for Sundowns to find the opener after Uruguayan import, Gaston Sirino’s long ball found Morena who fired the ball home.
The second came for the former champions in the 38th minute after Zwane showed composure in the box after good interplay to double the lead.
Things got even worse for Lobi Stars from the restart after Maboe stole the ball from deep for a brilliant solo run that ended with a clinical finish to make it 3-0 before the break.
“We conceded very early which changed the dynamics of the game. My boys lost concentration & committed silly errors leading to first and third goals. We’re proud of how far we’ve come and we will take lessons from this game,” Ogbeide told reporters after the game.
The Nigerian champions now have a slender hopes of progressing into the quarter-finals following the defeat as they sit in the fourth position in the group with four points from five games.
Mamelodi Sundowns who top the group with 10 points are already through to quarter-final stage of the competition.
Wydad Casablanca and Asec Mimosas who occupy second and third spot respectively have seven points each.
The Makurdi club will host Asec Mimosas in their final group game next week Saturday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu.
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
