Niger head coach Badou Zaki has opened up on what motivated his side to beat Ghana in the final match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
In a post-match interview, Zaki explained that his side entered the game with a strong sense of confidence, particularly after reviewing Ghana’s recent performances in various tournaments.
He said Niger’s 4-0 thrashing of Sudan last Thursday also fired his players up to believe that beating Ghana is possible.
“From the last AFCON, we knew that the Ghanaian team can score, but they conceded goals. And our last match against Sudan gave us the confidence that we could do it,” Coach Zaki said after Niger beat Ghana 2-1 on Monday.
He further shared the challenges his players faced, revealing that many of them are amateurs, and travel logistics added additional hurdles.
“Most of my players are amateurs in Niger. For those outside, they travelled eighteen hours before games and often arrived a day before the match,” he explained.
Zaki also highlighted the difficulties the team faced with travel, adding, “Our flights often took an hour, even from Lomé to Accra. If we had a plane that could make these trips in a shorter time, it would have helped a great deal.”
The victory over Ghana secured third place for Niger in Group F with 7 points. However, despite their strong showing, it was not enough for Niger to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
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