Super Eagles interim head coach Finidi George has commended his players despite the defeat to Mali.
Finidi’s side lost 2-0 to Eric Chelle’s side at the Grand Stade de Marrakech on Tuesday night.
The Super Eagles fought hard in the game but were let down by their poor finishing.
The gaffer refused to blame his players for the defeat.
“This is a team that keeps the ball very well but if we had our injured strikers available, we would have changed the one on the pitch immediately,” Finidi said in his post-match interview.
“Losing two strikers forced us to play wide and as an aggressive team, we did all we could. And you know football is all about victory.
“Lost one and won one and we were not outplayed in the two matches gives me joy as a coach of the Super Eagles.
“I would have loved a different result in this game but that’s not the case if we look at the performance of the players, it’s commendable.”