Togo faced a defeat against Benin in a friendly match as part of the preparations for the U23 AFCON qualifiers. The coach of the U23 Eperviers acknowledges the loss and admits the challenging context of his team's preparation.
Two late goals from the Squirrels were enough to clip the wings of the U23 Eperviers this Thursday at the municipal stadium in Lomé. Despite a commendable performance, as stated by the coach, Togo struggled to find an advantage. Speaking to the media after the match, Kader Cougbadja-Touré praised the effort of his players while acknowledging the preparation difficulties faced by his squad.
“The players arrived yesterday at 11 PM. This isn’t an excuse but it's a fact. It reflects the reality, the circumstances leading up to the match. In the end, we conceded 2 goals in the closing minutes. That’s fatigue. They arrived yesterday at midnight. They didn’t train. Certainly, we incorporated youth and made changes.”.
This international friendly is part of the U23 AFCON qualifying process. Togo will take on Libya in the first round, with the first leg scheduled for September 30. For Kader Cougbadja-Touré, the match against Benin was an opportunity to bring his players together and consider the possibilities ahead of facing Libya. “It’s not the score that matters to me. It’s the performance that is crucial. The score could have served as an indicator of what needs correction. There is much to work on. It’s the first time these boys have played together. This is a match we can also learn from. We’ve identified our strengths, as well as our weaknesses.”.