Why we lost to Super Eagles in the Unity Cup – Zimbabwe coach Kaitano Tembo

Zimbabwe coach Kaitano Tembo has admitted that his team lost to the Super Eagles of Nigeria due to profligacy in front of goal and poor decision-making, Afrik-Foot reports.

​Nigeria and Zimbabwe opened the Unity Cup at The Valley on Tuesday, treating fans to a highly competitive match.

Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle was without his usual starting squad, opting instead to invite mostly fringe players for the tournament. While this provided a big opportunity for several debutants to break into the team, it also resulted in a much more open, unpredictable game.

​However, the three-time African champions still lived up to their reputation, sealing a 2-0 victory courtesy of a brace from debutant Femi Azeez.

​In fairness to the Warriors, they played well, and the post-match statistics indicate just how close the game truly was. Zimbabwe held 54% of the possession, recorded eight shots compared to Nigeria’s four, and registered five corner kicks against Nigeria’s zero. But ultimately, they simply lacked the finishing touch that was needed to make their dominance count.

​Tembo Reveals Why Zimbabwe Lost To Super Eagles

​Speaking during his post-match interview, Zimbabwe coach Kaitano Tembo noted that while his side had some opportunities to score, they failed to convert them. He also conceded that the Super Eagles were far more efficient in transition—an area where the Warriors struggled to keep up.

​”We had our moments and they had theirs,” Tembo said. “The difference is that they took advantage of their moments, and we failed to do so.

​”I thought they kept the ball a little better and longer than we did. We could have done better in those crucial stretches, especially on the transition where we needed to make better decisions and take proper care of the ball.

​”That was the deciding factor. Our opponents capitalized on the chances they created to score, whereas we failed to take advantage of our own high-quality opportunities. Moving forward, we need to ensure we are much more lethal in the final third, so we will go back to the training ground and work on that.”

​Following the defeat, Zimbabwe will drop into the third-place playoff, while Nigeria’s Super Eagles advance to the final. Their respective opponents will be confirmed today and it depends on the result of the clash between India and Jamaica.