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Nigeria "disappointed and sad" about early World Cup exit

Other News Materials 23 June 2010 05:40 (UTC +04:00)
Nigeria were "disappointed and sad" about not making it past the first round of the World Cup in South Africa, coach Lars Lagerback said, dpa reported.
Nigeria "disappointed and sad" about early World Cup exit

Nigeria were "disappointed and sad" about not making it past the first round of the World Cup in South Africa, coach Lars Lagerback said, dpa reported.

"We did well," veteran striker Nwankwo Kanu said after the decisive game in Durban. "We created chances, but if you don't score, you don't win, and that's what happened."

The Super Eagles drew 2-2 against South Korea in a match in which they hit the post once and had at least two chances before an empty goal and still missed. A win would have taken them to the round of 16; instead South Korea advanced.

"I think we played rather well all the time, and we had the chances to win," said the Swedish Lagerback.

He blamed the result on "little mistakes" but was happy with his men's performance.

"I'm rather satisfied with the way the players performed, but it obviously wasn't enough," Lagerback admitted.

"The margin is small at this level. We did as much as we could."

Kanu, too, said he was "very, very sad" about the result.

Keeper Vincent Enyeama, who got the Man of the Match award in the first two Group B games, though both ended in defeat for Nigeria, also spoke of a "big, big disappointment."

"Man of the Match, and we're on our way home," he sighed. "Horrible."

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