Football
Andrew Oryada, Special to ESPN 6y

Emmanuel Eboue: African teams need to be better in defence

Former Ivory Coast and Arsenal right-back Emmanuel Eboue says African teams will continue to struggle at the World Cup if they don't improve their defence.

The five teams from the continent arrived in Russia with high hopes of finally reaching the semifinals, but already Morocco and Egypt are eliminated after only two rounds of games, while Nigeria and Tunisia also lost their openers.

Many of the goals conceded have come from set-pieces, with Cristiano Ronaldo's header from a corner-kick knocking the Atlas Lions out yesterday, and Eboue believes this is where African teams have fallen short.

"Look at the kind of goals most of the African teams have conceded at the World Cup in Russia. There are so many mistakes being made at the back, particularly when defending set-pieces, " he told KweséESPN in Kampala, Uganda.

"African teams must improve in defending. When the defence is disorganised it also frustrates the players up-front who are looking for goals."

African sides have scored only five goals in seven games so far, with two of those coming in Senegal's defeat of Poland.

Eboue, along with former Senegal international Ibrahima Sonko, is in Uganda to impart knowledge on the country's aspiring young stars. Former Manchester United and Cameroon midfielder Eric Djemba Djemba is expected to arrive next week.

"In Africa, we have a lot of talent, but the problem is that we are not lucky to have all facilities like it is in Europe. So it is important that we help each other as Africans to prosper," Eboue added.

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