SAN PEDRO: Eric Sekou Chelle, the head coach of the Malian men’s senior national football team, has said he was proud of the project the Namibian coach, Collin Benjamin, has built.

Chelle’s team and Benjamin’s team played out to a goalless draw in their last Group E match at the 2023 African Cup of Nations underway in Ivory Coast. The match took place at the Laurent Pokou Stadium on Wednesday.

The draw meant that both teams secured their spot in the next round of the tournament.

Speaking during a post-match media conference, Chelle said he has personally not met with Benjamin, but he was proud of the project that his counterpart was building as his players play with courage.

‘I like the Namibian coach, he is a good guy who has a plan. You can see all that through his players who play with solidarity. Namibia has the right to be in the last 16 because they deserve to be here and I am hopeful they are going to do good at this competition,’ he said.

Chelle added that Namibia being at the competition is not
a surprise as he has followed and analysed their games and seen their style of play.

‘This Afcon is fantastic, it is not the same as all the previous Afcons. Everyone has their issue and matters to deal with, but they are still giving it their all on the field. The Namibian team has a good squad with well-built players, and they can be physical,’ he said.

The coach stated that he wishes Benjamin would continue getting the same support as his ideologies of the game looks like someone who has a five-to-10-year project.

‘When I look at the way this team is playing it shows that the coach is building for the future. I hope he will be there for a long time so that he can continue doing this for his national because technically he is good with his game plans,’ Chelle said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency