Nigeria Leagues
CAF Confederations Cup: El-Kanemi Warriors gaffer gives explanation for Dadje draw
By Saheed Afolabi
The head coach of El Kanemi Warriors, Aliyu Zubairu, has attributed the disappointing draw his side settled for against Dadje FC in the CAF Confederations Cup to the lack of competitive matches prior to the game.
A 30th-minute strike from Solasie Bakai was cancelled out by a last-minute goal from Gimba Ajiji, resulting in a 1-1 draw between the two sides.
Zubairu admitted that they struggled to break down their opponent’s defense but managed to secure a draw through strategic substitutions, stressing that a lack of continental experience was detrimental to his squad’s performance.
“Actually, we started with a team that was aggressively attacking the opponent, but it didn’t yield results,” Zubairu told nigeriafootball.ng exclusively.
“That’s why we had to make the substitutions we did. At least we got the equalizer. You can see that we missed too many chances.
“It’s evident that we are newcomers. We dominated the game, but at times we lacked composure in the final touch. This is a typical example of our inexperience on the continent.
“Lack of competitive matches affected us. We didn’t play any Grade A matches, and when we were supposed to come out, demonstrations and protests prevented us.
“This match served as a good test for us as a Grade A match, showing that if they can come here and get a draw, we can also go there and secure a draw.”
The decisive return leg of the game will take place on Saturday, August 24.
