The CHAN Eagles failed to avenge a 4-1 battering by Togo a week ago as skipper Mfon Udoh failed to fire in a WAFU Nations Cup clash in Senegal on Sunday.
Two-time NPFL goal king Udoh squandered three clear-cut chances when he was introduced after 63 minutes and was also sent off in stoppage time for Togo to run away 2-1 winners.
Imama said it was a bad day in the office for his captain.
“I told Udoh before the game that he was going to win it for us, so it was a deliberate tactical change to bring him on,” Amapakabo told ESPN.
“My job as a coach is to make a team that will create chances, but it still rests on the player to convert that chance with the tactical approach of the team.
“He [Udoh] had two chances he should have buried; unfortunately he did not. He is one of the highest goal scorers in the league in Nigeria, but he had a bad day.”
The home-based Eagles will next Monday face the losers between Cote d’Ivoire and Cape Verde in the quarterfinal of the WAFU Cup Plate section.
