Tom Saintfiet blamed left-back Moses Chavula for Flames’ loss to Nigeria’s Super Eagles in the 2014 World Cup qualifier in Calabar last Saturday before he quit as national team coach.
The Flames lost 2-0, but Santifiet singled out Nigeria’s first goal by Emmanuel Emenike, 30 seconds before the break, as the turning point for Flames’ misfortune.
The Belgian told KickOffNigeria.com that if it were not for Chavula’s mistake that enabled Emenike to put Nigeria ahead with an easy dispatch, his objective to hold Nigeria until half-time and surprise them in the second segment, would not have faltered.
“Our objective was to hold Nigeria until half-time because we know that if they go into half-time without scoring, they would be nervous in the second-half and we would have chances.
“But that goal with 30 seconds left was a killer. It killed us and it was a mistake from my left defender. He was not coming back to defend and you could have seen me shouting about five times to ask him to come back,” he was quoted as saying.
However, Saintfiet praised his charges for a superb display, saying overall, he was very happy with the way the ‘boys’ played.
“They were very much organised and (they) kept the Nigerians away. If it was not for the mistake, we would have gone into half-time 0-0,” he said.
Despite that, Saintfiet described defender Limbikani Mzava’s foul on Ahmed Musa that earned him a second yellow card and a sending off in the second-half, for Nigeria to score a second goal on the spot kick through Victor Moses, as an offence that deserved a straight red card.
“When I saw it, I would have given a red myself. I spoke to the player and he told me he got the ball, but I still would have given red. For the penalty, I have to look at it again. But I am 90 per cent sure it was not a penalty,” he told the magazine.
