Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr says his players lost to a goal from a football genius, after their 2-1 semi-final defeat to Algeria in the African Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles conceeded the first goal of the game , after defender Troost Ekong gave the Algerians through an own goal.
The three time African champions restored parity with a penalty from Odion Ighalo, but Belmadi’s men would have the last laugh, after Riyad Mahrez curled in a perfect free-kick in the last minute of the game to break Nigerian hearts.
Rohr praised his team’s fighting spirit, but admitted his boys thought the Algerians were tired.
“It was a big fight until the last minute, it was a wonderful match, I think my players wanted it to go to extra time thinking Algeria were more tired,” Rohr was quoted as saying by Reuters.
“We scored an own goal, unlucky, but we have come back every time in this tournament and this time we came back on a penalty. But a wonderful free kick from a football genius made the difference.”
Nigeria will now face Tunisia who lost to Senegal in Wednesday’s third-place encounter at the Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo.
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