Mokwena not giving up on CAFCL knockout hopes despite DRC setback

MC Alger suffered their second loss in three matches in the group stages, when they went down 1-0 via a 95th minute penalty against St Eloi Lupopo in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo yesterday. 

The result leaves the Algerian side with just one point in three matches, behind Mamelodi Sundowns, Al Hilal’s five points, and Lupopo’s four. 

Of the three remaining games, two are at home and from experience, Mokwena says he’s not giving up yet.

"Well, you see it's very complicated, this group, so, we cannot give up yet. There's three games to go, we have two matches at home and anything can happen," Mokwena said.

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Mokwena also admitted that Lupopo fully deserved to win this game, their first victory in the group stages of the CAF inter-club competitions. 

He believes that they conceded the goal when they had started to look much better.

"Firstly, congratulations to the opposition, I think over 90 minutes maybe they were the better team. Especially in the first half, we didn't compete enough and we arrived late for the duels, we arrived late for the second balls,” the coach explained. 

“We made too many mistakes for a Champions League game but in the second half I thought we were a little bit better, more stable, all the players doing enough to help the team to be comfortable on the pitch. 

“It's just a pity that in some of the moments where we had some chances we were let down by our decision making. It's a pity we lost the game in the second half where we were much, much better but in the Champions League you have to play 90 minutes, not 45."