A dejected Senegal boss Aliou Cisse says it was “tough to see the players cry” in the locker room after their shock penalty shootout defeat by Cote d’Ivoire in the last 16.
The champions were dumped out 5-4 on penalties by the tournament hosts on Monday following a dramatic 1-1 draw after extra time.
“I am disappointed after this result, especially for our players. We came here to retain the title and play for our people,” rued Cisse.
The coach said losing in such fashion after dominating the match made the pain worse.
“It’s tough to see the players cry in the locker room. The match was strange and complicated; we could have won,” Cisse noted.
Senegal led until the 86th minute when Franck Kessie equalised from the penalty spot. And Cisse felt his side failed to manage the game well enough when it mattered most.
“We lost on penalties; we kept our lead until the last five minutes. I am disappointed after this defeat, especially after our performance and from the first match,” he lamented.
With Senegal’s trophy defence now over, Cisse acknowledged changes are inevitable as the team looks to rebuild.
“We need to make changes after this defeat; we’ll see what happens in the future. There is sorrow, and our players are sad, as is the Senegalese people,” the coach admitted.
However, Cisse took pride in Senegal’s undefeated group stage campaign.
“We prepared well and let’s not forget we have three wins in three matches,” he added.
