2018 World Cup Qualifiers: We won't give up hope- Algeria coach says after Nigeria's 3-1 defeat
The Algerians sit bottom of the table, with Nigeria first with 6 points, Cameroon second with 2 points while Zambia sits third with a point, but Leekens feels he will still have hope of making it to Russia while there is still a mathematical chance of doing so.
“We are still sure of qualifying mathematically and Nigeria cannot say that have qualified after two matches. You saw the way our team played and I believe that nothing is sure yet even for your team. We shall go back home to review what we have done right and wrong.
“You can see that the Algerians played very well and we created lots of chances which were not utilized. It was tough for both teams. I believe that giving up at this stage in not in our language and we are going to fight on until we have been mathematically ruled out of qualifying.”
He also alleged that the Foxes of Algeria were robbed by the referee in Uyo saying the result of the Uyo encounter could have been different had the referee not accepted Nigeria’s second goal from Mikel Obi when the score was 1-0.
“Nigeria’s second goal is not valid. There was indeed an offside position,” the 67-year-old former Belgium manager said to popular Algerian newspaper Le Buteur on Sunday.
“The goal somewhat disorganised my players, especially before the break. If the score had remained 1-0, we would have returned in the second half.”
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