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Sudan coach lauds youthful team after historic win

By AFP
Sudan Sudanese celebrate in the streets of Khartoum after their football team defeated Burkina Faso to qualify.  By Ashraf Shazly AFP
JAN 31, 2012 LISTEN
Sudanese celebrate in the streets of Khartoum after their football team defeated Burkina Faso to qualify. By Ashraf Shazly (AFP)

BATA, Equatorial Guinea (AFP) - Sudan coach Mohammed Abdullah Mazda has praised his youthful side which against the odds has made it to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

The Desert Hawks booked their berth in the last eight with Monday's 2-1 win over Burkina Faso, their first Nations Cup victory since claiming the title back in 1970.

"I'm really happy, we deserved to be in the quarters," said Mazda, who was only 16 years old when Sudan claimed the continental crown.

"We played well," he added.

"We have one of the youngest teams at the tournament with an average age of 24.

"My team has made progress with each match after a loss, a draw and now a win."

Mudather Eltaib scored either side of half time to bag the precious points which lifted the Sudanese level with Angola, their rivals for the runner-up spot in Group B, and crucially with a better goal difference.

"This was one of our best matches. Burkina Faso were well organised.

"I told my players this was going to be the toughest game, but my team have got into the rhythm of the competition.

"I told them that only victory would suffice.

"This is the first Nations Cup win since 1970. Against Angola (where they drew 2-2), we scored our first Nations Cup goals since 1976.

"All my players are attached to clubs in the Sudanese league, and they've proved they can play at this high level."

He said life for the Sudan squad has been difficult.

"We lack funding to prepare the national team, we'll see what the government is going to do."

Turning to Saturday's quarter-final here against Zambia he commented: "They are a well organised side which has achieved good results."

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