Mali’s national team head coach, Éric Sékou Chelle, has taken full responsibility for his team’s elimination in the quarter-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023.
Despite dominating in the second half, the Eagles were knocked out by a 9-man Cotê d’Ivoire.
Expressing his disappointment in Cotê d’Ivoire’s late extra-time win, Éric Sékou Chelle said, “I’m disappointed for my players and the population of Mali as well. I have always respected everybody, whether it is the National team or the fans.”
He also took responsibility for the result and apologized to the fans, saying, “Of course, I do make mistakes sometimes and it is so because I am a human being. If I have offended anyone, they should forgive me.”
“We did everything to win this game but it didn’t happen. It’s a failure but we will keep our heads up. The first person to blame is me. I will go to Bamako to discuss my future with the Malian Federation,” he added.
