Sewnet Bishaw, the coach of the Antelopes Walya, is struggling to come to terms with his team’s 1-2 defeat in the first leg of the 2014 World Cup play-offs against Nigeria. Expressing his frustration, the Ethiopian coach pointed to what he perceived as poor refereeing decisions, particularly emphasizing the denial of a goal in the first half: “We lost because the referee was bad. He denied us a goal and made some very questionable decisions.”
Despite acknowledging the team’s missed opportunities, Bishaw admitted, “When we scored, we thought things would be easier. But we conceded, and we could do nothing more in the face of the enthusiasm of the Nigerians. Plus, our changes didn’t work.”
However, Bishaw remains optimistic about the upcoming return match, echoing the sentiments of his Nigerian counterpart. “There is not a big difference between Ethiopia and Nigeria. We will go to them to win because football offers equal opportunities to everyone. So it’s up to us,” he revealed, expressing confidence in his team’s capabilities.
