By Harry Awurumibe, Head, Abuja Bureau
Algerian women’s football star, Imane Chebel has disclosed why the North African nation frustrated AWCON reigning champions, Nigeria’s Super Falcons in the return leg of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifier tie at Agege stadium in Lagos.
Speaking after Nigeria laboured to a 1-0 victory over her country yesterday to qualify for the next round on a 3-0 goals aggregate, Chebel who plays club football with Biik Kazkgurt in Turkey said Algerian players took a collective decision to come to Nigeria to show that they are not push over.
According to her the players resolved not to be beaten easily in the return leg in Nigeria after they lost the first leg in Blida two nil.
“We felt bad that we lost 2-0 at home in the first leg so we resolved to come to Nigeria to show that we (Algerians) can also play football. We were able to stop them (Nigerians) from scoring us although they still managed to score only one against us”, Chebel said.
The exciting player who gave good account of herself however gave kudos to the Super Falcons for still finding a way to beat them in Lagos.
Said she “The Super Falcons of Nigeria are still the best team in Africa and we respect them for what they have been able to achieve in the game. I believe that Algeria is coming up and with time we shall do well”.
Chebel is one of the foreign-based players in the Algerian squad with Lydia Belkacemi who plays in France among them.
