TheCable

Bayelsa United lost 0-1 to Sewe Sports of Cote d’ Ivoire in Sapele, Delta, on Saturday and the coach Richard Bubara blamed his strikers for not connecting with crosses.

Team’s exit from this year’s CAF Confederation Cup competition was sealed on a 3-0 aggregate, with  Sewe having won the first leg 2-0 last week in Abidjan.

The loss also denied the team from qualifying for the group stage of the competition which is also the money spinning stage.

Bubara in a telephone interview with NAN said the absence of his captain and central defender Salomon Junior contributed to their defeat.

“There was nobody to connect most of the long crosses in the attack; this affected my team greatly.

“We did not also take our chances; we had up to four clear chances in the first half of the game.

“This is against the opponents zero opportunity because they were playing a defensive game all through,” Bubara said.

He commended the visitors for their win, noting that their goal which was netted through a penalty kick was deserved.

Bubara told NAN that club would now concentrate on finishing among the four best in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) to enable them play again in the continental level.