FRANCE 98 – MatchQuotes
Match Number 39 NGA – PAR Quotes Paulo Cesar CARPEGGIANI :
It was a dream come true, we just qualified for the second round. The atmosphere was euphoric, the match was difficult but we’re very pleased, we had to win tonight, that was our main objective and we achieved it. Tonight we showed that we were very strong: we had lots of dynamism and will power. We had a great defence, a good midfield and a quick attack, made up of four forwards who kept up the pressure after the first goal. The first half was difficult, but the second was easier and we finished well. We played better and better as we went on. Tonight’s victory is well deserved. We are very happy to be here and in FRANCE, we have great respect for FRANCE, a team who is now our opponent; we will have to play FRANCE the way we played NIGERIA, who impressed us with their skills and speed. Our team was also lacking three quality players, but all played very well and showed outstanding skills tonight.
Bora MILUTINOVIC :
“I would like to congratulate the PARAGUAY team for being second in our group, but I think our players tried really hard. I am very happy to finish first in group D. Tonight we had problems because four of our players had already been booked. We hope to be ready to play DENMARK at SAINT – DENIS and then to go on to the quarter finals in NANTES in July… We’re ready for DENMARK, it’s a team with a lot of experience. We’ll have to use all our strengths; that match should be different from tonight. We made so many changes because previously we had four players suspended, but we must protect our game. I was especially happy with the first half, and we could have scored before PARAGUAY’s second goal. That unbalanced us, and from then on, it was hard to get back into the game. PARAGUAY are lucky to have a goalkeeper like CHILAVERT (1). We had problems with OLISEH (15) and AMOKACHI (14), who was injured and could not play. The problem we had with AMOKACHI was not a big problem, but it was better for him not to play. I won’t say what the problem was, it was a private affair between us. Respect and dignity are always very important in football, anything else people say is not very important. We played our game, we tried hard and I don’t think it’s right to say that money had anything to do with our defeat. I only think of our team: just NIGERIA, Africa and ourselves.”
Ben IROHA (19):
“That was my first game and unfortunately we lost. Maybe we didn’t take this match seriously enough. That was surely a mistake. We didn’t play as well as we could have. But on Sunday our fans will come to see us win in Saint-Denis.”
Taribo WEST (6):
“We were motivated because it was the first time a lot of our players were on the pitch. But they were tired by the second half. It’s hard to be enthusiastic when you’re losing. We’re not quite there yet, but with each match we’re making progress. I hope we’ll make it to the final. Only the gods can prevent us from going all the way. As far as PARAGUAY is concerned, FRANCE should be careful because it’s a tricky match.”
Sunday OLISEH (15):
“PARAGUAY are a good team but they aren’t strong. On our side, the substitutes had to play. For me, every minute of the World Cup counts. In the last sixteen I’ll be up against Mickael LAUDRUP (DENMARK, 10), who was my team-mate from Ajax (Amsterdam), and DENMARK (Group C) who are a good team. But in the World Cup, no match is easy.”
Victor IKPEBA (20):
“It is difficult to follow a game from the bench, and all the more when your team is losing. Anyway, the most important thing is not to come up against France (Group C) in the last sixteen. That’d be difficult considering how I’ve seen the French play, and especially my team-mates from AS Monaco.”
UCHE (5),
suspended during the game against PARAGUAY
“I’m really looking forward to the game against DENMARK (Group C), because I’ll be back in the team. Tonight PARAGUAY won. We couldn’t do anything for SPAIN. We just did our best.”
Hugo BRIZUELA (17):
“It was quite a difficult match, but we won it and we qualified; that’s all that matters. I am proud for my people. At the final whistle, I felt great satisfaction and immediately thought of my family who are supporting me from so far away. The second round game against FRANCE will be very tough because they’ll be playing at home but I think that we’ll still be able to win.”
Jose CARDOZO (9):
“Playing FRANCE in the second round will be difficult, like all the games we’ve already played. We don’t think about our opponents, we only think about ourselves. If we go on playing that way, we can beat FRANCE; we have to keep on working.”
Miguel Angel BENITEZ (15):
“This day will stay in my mind forever. On the one hand, we gave our countrymen something to be proud of. And on the other, this second goal is a kind of present that I give to my mother, who, in PARAGUAY, is celebrating today her 54th birthday today! I don’t think anyone can say that NIGERIA performed badly; we really deserve this victory. When we went onto the pitch, we knew we were going to give it our all, to offer a little hope to our people who are suffering so deeply.”
Carlos GAMARRA (4):
“I am happy; we were not the favourites at the beginning and we ended up qualifying in this ‘Death Group’. It is true that we don’t stand out as much as other teams do, but we know how to play together as a team. This gave us the necessary resources to overcome the fear we experienced when NIGERIA equalised. Our victory will have a strong effect in PARAGUAY and it’ll help develop the game of football. We were hurt to hear our forwards being criticised. But we have just proven how good they are and we will try to use them well against FRANCE.”
Celso AYALA (5) :
“The game against FRANCE will be difficult because they’re playing at home. But we can surprise them. For now, I’m just happy to be able to take part in the World Cup and to have played a good match against NIGERIA. Today we suffered during the first half because we positioned ourselves badly. In the second half, however, we were able to attack deeper and score the goals at the right time.”
