Patrice Carteron, the French coach of Mali, expressed confidence and discussed the upcoming CAN 2013 semi-final against Nigeria in a press conference. Here are some excerpts from his statements:
- “Like many people, I had put Côte d’Ivoire as my favorite. On paper, it was. Nigeria was one of five or six teams that could create surprises. It’s a balanced team on all lines. It will take a very big match to worry them.”
- “My name is not God, so I cannot perform miracles! We have the ability to move mountains. Tomorrow we’re going to try to move a big one.”
- “Nigeria is the favorite after its victory against Ivory Coast. They will be under pressure. We will play with a lot of heart and generosity. We respect them, but we would like to bring them down.”
- “The objective is to give pleasure to the Malian people. We have a feeling about the situation. Tomorrow we will have to be happy on the field in the semi-final, to show strength and put the Super Eagles in difficulty. Afterwards, it remains a football match. My players must remain focused on the match, even if the situation in Mali will serve as a source of motivation for us.”
- “Mamadou Samassa will be the starting goalkeeper.”
