TheCable

Claude Le Roy, coach of the Red Devils of Congo, whose side beat Africa champions Nigeria 3-2 win in Calabar, says his side won the tie because they were tactically superior to the Stephen Keshi-led Super Eagles.

Le Roy, who confessed before the game that he would be satisfied with just a point, has revealed how better tactics helped his team nick the three points.

“Our tactics worked as we worked on all the Nigerian players,” he told reporters.

“Musa, Oshaniwa, Ambrose – and the players did what we asked them to do. We won and it was a huge result for us, because we were better tactically, but we now have to focus on Sudan.”

The French coach admitted he psyched up his players by telling them not to be intimidated by the pedigree of Nigeria as champions of Africa.

“I told my players not to be impressed by Nigeria’s pedigree as Africa champions and getting as far as the round-of-16 at the World Cup and it worked,” he said.

“If we remain very humble and confident, we can do great things. The early goal against us could have killed us, but we were strong.”

The much-travelled coach is not taking things for granted, though, and he insisted their victory is no license to believing they are through to the Africa Cup of Nations.

“We are not there yet, this is just the start,” he said.

“Teams will come at us now with expectations, so we have to maintain our discipline if we want to be at the Nations Cup in Morocco next year.”

They face Sudan Wednesday and bagging the maximum points at stake would enhance their chances of qualification from a group that also has 1996 champions, South Africa, in it.