Togo’s national football team suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat against Algeria in their third match of the AFCON 2025 qualifiers on Thursday. Despite the one-sided result, Togo coach Nibombé Daré emphasized that the match was not without its positive aspects, urging his players to focus on the successes they had in the first half as they prepare for their next fixture.
“It wasn’t all bad. There are positive points,” Daré remarked during the post-match press conference. “We’re going to have to work on our mental strength.
But they’re professionals, and they know there’s another game ahead of them. I’m focusing on the first part of the game, and we need to build on that as we get ready for Monday’s match.”
Togo had shown moments of resilience early in the match, but a combination of defensive mistakes and a lack of experience allowed Algeria to take full advantage of their opportunities.
Daré acknowledged the individual errors that led to the heavy loss but believes his side can learn from these mistakes going forward.
“We conceded five goals due to individual errors. We knew the mistakes to avoid but still fell into the same traps, and Algeria waited for the right moments to punish us,” the former Togo defender explained.
“We knew that in certain areas, losing the ball would be costly because Algeria transitions so quickly to attack. It was clear that experience made the difference in those moments.
The same situations we faced were not handled well.”
Despite the defeat, Daré remains focused on the future, highlighting the need to learn from their mistakes and improve for the remainder of the qualification campaign.
With their next match scheduled for Monday, the coach is hopeful his team can regroup and respond with a stronger performance.
For Togo, currently struggling in their AFCON 2025 qualifying campaign, the road to qualification remains difficult.
However, Daré’s insistence on mental fortitude and learning from past games offers hope that the team can turn things around in the coming fixtures.
Algeria’s victory keeps them in a commanding position in the group, but Togo will now look to build on the positives from Thursday’s game as they aim for a better result in their next challenge.
