Gabon coach Rohr: We can still improve

By Peter Auf der Heyde Jan 28, 2012, 12:47 GMT

Libreville, Gabon - Gabon coach Gernot Rohr believes his side can still improve at the Africa Cup of Nations, even though they have already qualified for the quarter-finals with a game to go.

'I think the team can improve because they have become more confident and they are able to play good football,' the Franco-German told dpa.

The Panthers Friday advanced to the round of the last eight at the competition they are co-hosting with Equatorial Guinea courtesy of a Bruno Zita Mbanangoye free-kick in the fifth minute of injury time, that gave them a 3-2 victory against Morocco.

Also through on the night from group C were Tunisia, who also needed a last-gasp goal to overcome Niger.

Rohr said he was concerned that his side would physically recover in time for Tuesday's match in Franceville against Tunisia.

'It was a very physical match against Morocco and I am hoping they will find the energy to take on the Tunisians and play as well,' he said.

The coach was criticized in the run-up to the tournament as he introduced several young locally-based players into the squad, and he said that the results had silenced the critics.

'People did not understand that we wanted to have a young team. But now they have shown that they are good. They have peaked at the right time and we can be confident,' he said.

Rohr, who won three French championships with Bordeaux, admitted he was concerned when Morocco had taken the lead.

'We are not crazy with expectations. It is not always easy to come back. We are not Brazil, we are very humble,' he said.

The coach, who took over the team from his former Bordeaux team-mate Alain Giresse in 2010, is looking at the rest of the tournament with confidence.

'It is realistic that we can win, we have shown that we can go further,' he said. 'I am not saying it will happen, but everything is possible. But we will keep our feet on the ground.'

His players 'showed real character and fighting spirit' for fighting back even after conceding a last-minute equalizer.

'If you concede in the 90th minute, it is then wonderful to come back and score,' he said. 'If you want success then you should have a strong character and my players have that.'

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