Mpile: We totally failed against Morocco

Cameroon coach Ndtoungou Mpile Martin said they totally failed to handle Morocco in the semi-final clash of the Total African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2020.

The defending champions Morocco moved closer to retaining their title when they brushed aside the hosts 4-0 on Wednesday night at the Limbe Omnisport Stadium.

“We played against a strong and well-coordinated team of Morocco that made things hard for my team,” said Mpile after the encounter.

Mpile added that although they started well against the strong Morocco team, his players made several individual mistakes that gave Morocco a lot of possession and dominance. “We totally failed against Morocco,” he admitted.

Indomitable Lions coach explained that when the team conceded two quick goals, many of his players lost their mental strength. “We tried our best, but unfortunately we could not replicate the kind of performance that saw us fight to beat DR Congo at the quarter-final,” he added.

Regarding his squad, Mpile made it clear that he picked players he believed were the best at the time and could hold the Cameroon flag high at this tournament. “It is sad we fell out at the semi-final but am happy the boys worked hard to get this far Cameroon had never reached in the CHAN tournament,” added the coach whose team will now face Guinea in the play-off for third place on Saturday.

Cameroon kick-started their campaign with a 1-0 win against Zimbabwe, before settling for a 1-1 draw against Mali. They went on to settle for a goalless draw against Burkina Faso in their last Group A match, and edged DR Congo 2-1 at the quarterfinals.