/ 1 February 2000

TOGO’S COACH SAYS HE’S CHUFFED

TOGOLESE coach Gottlieb Goller said on Monday his team’s 1-0 defeat of the more experienced Cameroon in their last Group A encounter shows that no team should be underrated. The ‘Hawks’, as the Togolese are called, collected the three points at stake to finish on four points along with Ghana, Cameroon and Cte d’Ivoire in the group but lost out on goal difference to Ghana and Cameroon. “We have proved to the world that we are no under-dogs,” said Goller, who was appearing in public for the first time since his team’s 2-0 loss to Ghana last week. He expresssed satisfaction with the performance of the team during the 90-minute encounter watched by less than 2000 fans. “The boys played according to instructions and were adequately rewarded by the goal,” Goller said. He said although the team failed to qualify for the quarter-finals due to Cameroon and Ghana’s superior goal difference he was happy because they were not humiliated. Cameroon and Ghana qualified from the group despite their defeats on Monday. In another Group A encounter in Accra, unfancied Cte d’Ivoire beat the Black Stars 2-0.