Ghana Premier League icon, Kofi Ntow Gyan, has attributed Nsoatreman FC’s early exit from the CAF Confederation Cup to their lack of experience.
The Ghana FA Cup winners were knocked out in their debut appearance in the competition, suffering a 3-0 aggregate defeat to Algerian club CS Constantine.
After a 2-0 loss at the Accra Sports Stadium in the first leg, Nsoatreman fell 1-0 in the return fixture in Algeria, sealing their elimination.
Former Ghana international Gyan believes that their inexperience in continental football played a major role in their failure to advance to the group stage.
“This was their first time playing in Africa, and they are unfamiliar with the challenges of this level, so inexperience hurt them,” Gyan said in an interview with Asempa FM.
“If we are 50 in a class, and I finish 50th in the first term and 49th in the second term, it’s still progress, right? So, for Nsoatreman to lose just 1-0 away in Algeria, I believe they did well.”
Assessing their overall performance as debutants in Africa’s second-tier inter-club competition, Gyan stated that Nsoatreman should be praised for their efforts instead of being vilified.
“Previously, we used to rely on just Asante Kotoko and Hearts of Oak every season to play in Africa. But now, things have changed,” Gyan said.
“Nsoatreman lost 2-0 at home, and people thought when they went away, CS Constantine would beat them by a huge scoreline.
“If we are 50 in a class, and I finished 50th in the first term and 49th in the second term, you see there is improvement? So Nsoatreman conceding just 1-0 away in Algeria, I think they have done well,” he added.
Nsoatreman will now focus on the Ghana Premier League and FA Cup, hoping to secure a spot in Africa again next season by winning one of these competitions.