Guinea-Bissau may have been defeated in their Wafu Cup opener, but captain Alberto Coli has vowed the team will bounce back in their meeting with neighbours Guinea on Wednesday.
Despite being eliminated from the Wafu Cup competition, where the eight winners of the opening fixtures will contest the tournament’s main prize, both Guinea-Bissau and Guinea have entered the plate competition after losing their first matches.
Guinea-Bissau were defeated by hosts Senegal on Saturday, while Le Syli Nationale were beaten 2-1 by Benin in a thriller on Tuesday.
“We’re preparing to come back strong,’ Coli told Goal ahead of the plate quarter-final. “We’ve lost our first game, but we’re not giving up, because there are matches to come.
“We’re going to give our best, and while [the opener] was entertaining, we’re now thinking of the next match.
“We’ll give everything to win this and to continue in the tournament.”
Guinea-Bissau were not expected to make much of an impact in the Wafu Cup, having been dispatched 7-0 on aggregate by Mali in their recent African Nations Championship qualifier. However, they were firmly in the contest against Senegal in their opener before Abdoulaye Ba added a third for the Teranga Lions late on.
"I am proud of Guinea-Bissau, even with that defeat, because we’re here to defend the colours of our country,” Coli continued. “This is an opportunity as well, for a lot of youngsters, and we know we have to work for the coming games.
“We were tired after travelling, but that’s the life of a footballer,” he concluded. “Sometimes things go well, somethings they go badly, but that’s life.”
Guinea-Bissau and Guinea meet in the plate quarter-final on Thursday afternoon, before Benin and Senegal meet in the cup quarter-final later in the evening.
