Ivory Coast’s head coach, Jean-Louis Gasset, provided insight into his team’s 4-0 loss against Equatorial Guinea during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) match on Monday. Gasset expressed his team’s inefficiency in front of the goal and acknowledged Equatorial Guinea’s dominant performance.
In a post-match press interview, Gasset described the defeat as a “nightmare” and emphasized the missed opportunities in front of the goal. Despite having possession and numerous chances, Ivory Coast struggled to score while Equatorial Guinea capitalized on their scoring opportunities. Gasset admitted, “In football, you have to be efficient. Equatorial Guinea gave us a lesson in realism.”
Maintaining hope for qualification, Gasset affirmed, “Do I still believe we can qualify? Obviously. We won one match out of three, we have people who are behind us.” However, he expressed concern about relying on the results of other teams.
Looking ahead, Ivory Coast’s qualification for the Round of 16 hinges on Cameroon’s performance against Gambia on Tuesday. If Cameroon fails to secure a victory, Ivory Coast can still advance as one of the four best third-placed teams in the tournament.
