Cameroon coach, Antonio Conceiçao has given the reason for his side’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, semifinal defeat against Egypt on Thursday night.
Conceiçao said his players played well during the encounter but failed to score, adding that the Egyptian team knew how to counter Cameroon.
He added that Cameroon players felt some signs of fatigue at the end of the match but their effort to save their energy to counter Egypt was in vain.
Egypt defeated the host nation Cameroon 3-1 in a penalty shootout in the AFCON last-4 encounter.
The match had ended in a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes as both Egypt and Cameroon failed to score.
The result means Egypt will now face Senegal in the 2021 AFCON final on Sunday, while Cameroon will tackle Burkina Faso in the third-place final on Saturday.
“The team played well during the 90′ trying to score goals, but we didn’t succeed. We are as sad as the 27 million Cameroonians, but I think the Egyptian team knows how to counter us,” Conceiçao said at his post-match press conference.
“We’re sad, but it’s the reality. The players felt some signs of fatigue at the end of the match, especially after a very physical and intense first half. We had tried to save our energy to counter the opponent but in vain,” he added.
