Coach Hugo Broos was full of praise for his players after their hard-fought 3^rd place finish in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 courtesy of a 6-5 penalty shoot-out win that came after a 0-0 draw, CAFonline reports.

With very few chances given to his squad, Broos’ charges were impressive during their stay in Cote d’Ivoire, where they dismantled African football heavyweights en route to a third-place finish.

After clinching the third-place finish in Abidjan, Broos showered his squad with praises, making a special mention of the players on the bench who rallied the on-field players.

“After the Nigeria match, I said that I was proud of this team, and today, people can see why I am proud. We were not fresh, but when you see the mentality in that group, it is impressive,” said the delighted coach.

“The boys did very well. They showed great mentality. They tried to do what I asked, and I understood that it was difficult. It shows that if we have problems, we can count on those on the bench. I was satisfied with the players on the pitch, but I was even more satisfied with those on the pitch. They were encouraging them and pushing them. From this, you know that you have 23 guys who want one thing: winning,” concluded the coach.

The TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Cote d’Ivoire 2024 concludes on Sunday, 11 February 2024 with an African classic between hosts Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria.