jingaufta: Burkina Faso should be proud of team, says beaten coach Put

মঙ্গলবার, ১২ ফেব্রুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Burkina Faso should be proud of team, says beaten coach Put

Nigeria v Burkina Faso - 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final

Burkina Faso coach Paul Put looks on during the Africa Cup of Nations final between Nigeria and Burkina Faso at Soccer City on February 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa
Image by: Ian Walton / Getty Images

Burkina Faso coach Paul Put saluted his squad for their performance in the competition after being beaten 1-0 by Nigeria in Sunday?s African Nations Cup final at Soccer City.

?Perhaps we were tired in the final but I don?t want to make excuses,? Put told reporters. ?I saw my team fighting to the last minute ? I?m very proud and all Burkinabe can be proud of these players.

?We played a great tournament. No one was expecting us to achieve these results,? he added of a fairytale run to a first Nations Cup final that included eliminating holders Zambia and beating Ghana on penalties in Wednesday?s semi-final.

Sunday?s match was the sixth for both teams in the space of three weeks and was decided by a 40th-minute goal from Sunday Mba.

The Belgian-born Put said he would now talk to the Burkinabe soccer federation and the government about getting more financial support for his team as they bid to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Burkina Faso are back in action in six weeks? time with a World Cup qualifier against Niger at home in Ouagadougou.

?We?ve had a great tournament and a massive experience to play in a final in a stadium like this,? said captain Charles Kabore of the 80 000-capacity Soccer City venue.

?Nigeria proved a great team with strong mental ability. We have no regrets,? added the Olympique Marseille midfielder who was one of the best players in the tournament.