By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS
Madagascar coach Corentin Martins says his team deserved more from their 2–1 defeat to Nigeria in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match, Prompt News Online reports.
The Barea stunned the Super Eagles by taking an early lead through Kari Eshan, but Nigeria turned the game around with goals from debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor.
Ilenikhena restored parity just before halftime, while Usor struck in the 65th minute to complete Nigeria’s comeback and secure all three points.
Despite the defeat, Martins was pleased with his players’ performance and felt the result did not reflect their efforts.
“This defeat is hard to take for me and my players because we didn’t deserve to lose in the manner that we did. We had a chance of going 2–1 up but didn’t take it,” Martins said after the game.
The French tactician acknowledged that Nigeria’s greater experience at the highest level ultimately made a difference, with many of the Super Eagles players competing regularly in top European leagues.
“It’s a learning curve for me and my players, who are not at the level of the Nigerian players, who are used to playing big games because they play for top teams in top leagues,” he added.
Martins believes the experience will help his young squad improve as they continue their quest to qualify for the 2027 AFCON.
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