Defeat to Libya was a reality check – Micho

THE Amavubi head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojovic has conceded that losing to Libya was a huge reality check which will fully prepare Rwanda ahead of next month’s 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifier against Algeria in Blida.

Friday, May 25, 2012
Amavubi head coach Milutin u2018Michou2019 Sredojovic (L) with his assistants before the Nations Cup qualifier against Nigeria in Kigali, early this year. The New Times/File.

THE Amavubi head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojovic has conceded that losing to Libya was a huge reality check which will fully prepare Rwanda ahead of next month’s 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifier against Algeria in Blida.Micho told Times Sport in an exclusive interview, "This was a reality which we wanted to face by playing these two friendly matches against Libya and Tunisia."The point of this match was to make the best of everything and it would have been a disaster if we had gone to Algeria with this kind of shape.”He added, "Luckily these friendly matches will help us to choose the best 11 players who will play the most important World Cup qualifier against Libya."We have seen that in certain parts of the game we dominated the proceedings but the most important proceeding, which was scoring goals, was not on our side.”The Serbian former international added, "We are going to analyse the situation, we need not to lose the head and understand that at present this is the reality, and it is good to know your reality and stop thinking that even though we are second in East Africa, we can go to other parts of the continent and dominate.”"We have seen where we are at present and I promise that we are going to work on the shortcomings and problems which we faced from the point of individuals, departments and overall team, so as to put up a better performance against Tunisia on Sunday,” Micho said.Amavubi Stars lost their first of two scheduled international friendly matches, against Libya 2-0, on Wednesday evening. The two games are part of the team’s preparations ahead of the 2014 Brazil World Cup qualifier against Algeria on June 2 in Blida.The game was played at Hammam Bourguiba stadium in Tunis and ended in favour of Libya who got their goals through Khalifa Grigma (38) and Hammed El Maghabul (85). Both goals were a result of lack of concentration in defence. Strikers Meddie Kagere, Dady Birori and Olivier Karekezi had Amavubi’s best chances but their attempts came to nothing.Rwanda’s next friendly game is against Tunisia on Sunday in Monastir.