Opening game nerves

I think now that we are through most of the first round of games for this years ACN, we can safely say that many of the teams have exhibited at least some first game jitters. This is not a surprise as with such a big stage and so much pressure, being a little nervous is to be expected. Certainly Ghana was nervous from the outset with the weight of an entire country on their shoulders. I also think that both Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire were playing not to lose the opening game, and the nerves they experienced is part of what led to a less-than-inspiring match.

And then there is Mali…

In the post game press conference, Mali coach Jean-Francois Todar admitted that his Eagles also succumbed to nerves in game 1. A relieved Todar said, “We were a bit stressed but that is normal in the first game of the competition.” Overall though he was happy with the result and pleased with what he saw from his team. ““We have three points and this is what matters, we are on the right path,” he went on to say.

Seydou Keita also weighed in with his post-match thoughts. He was happy with the Eagles performance and specifically with the unity he sensed on the team. Keita said, “There was a lot of solidarity in the team. We saw it when Benin were close to coming back (into the match) in the last minutes. If you want to go all the way in the African Nations Cup, solidarity is an essential thing.”

Here’s hoping that the nerves and jitters were all shaken out of the system in the first game because we can’t afford to have them lingering around against either the Elephants or Super Eagles.