Egypt national team goalkeeper, Mohamed El-Shennawy, has said he and his teammates are responsible for their 1-0 defeat to Nigeria at the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.
El-Shennawy said the Pharaohs gave Nigeria too much respect during the encounter, adding that they couldn’t rise to the occasion as they wasted a few chances.
Nigeria defeated Egypt 1-0 in their 2021 AFCON opener on Tuesday evening, thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho’s second-half goal at the Roumdé Adjia Stadium, Garoua.
“The result is disappointing, to the players, coaching staff, and to the fans,” El Shennawy said at his post-match press conference.
“During the first half, we couldn’t rise to the occasion, but the second half saw some improvement as we wasted a few chances.
“We had a lot of respect for Nigeria, but that backfired on us, being too focused on defence was the reason we conceded the goal.
“We’ll focus on the future now, we only played one game of the tournament.
“Everyone is to blame, we made mistakes and it wasn’t our lucky day, but we promise you improvement in the future.”
Egypt’s next game is against Guinea-Bissau on Saturday.
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