Sankoh sees Sierra Leone promise

Spain ensured they ended their campaign in the 2005 UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup with four wins out of four, defender David Mateos Ramajo scoring the only goal against Nigeria in Odemis eleven minutes into the second half. Sierra Leone, meanwhile, became only the second African side to secure a point in the competition, holding Portgual - who drew with Egypt on Matchday 2 - to a scoreless draw in Aydin. uefa.com spoke to those involved.

NIGERIA 0-1 SPAIN
Godwin Izilein, Nigeria coach
Both teams played well today, which made it interesting. Either side could have won. We were cautious and careful, and it was a good contest between the two teams, a 90-minute battle. We had over five clear chances but we failed to take them. The orgainsation of this Meridian Cup was really good, although I wish the weather had been better! Nevertheless, our players are going from strength to strength. This was a good experience for them, so I expect them to be more motivated to play at a higher level.

PORTUGAL 0-0 SIERRA LEONE
Abu Sankoh, Sierra Leone coach
The match should have ended in our favour, because we outplayed Portugal. The match was played in their half in the first period. We were able to pass, hold up the ball and build attacks. Portugal then took control in the first 15 minutes of the second and fought really hard because there was nothing to lose. Luckily, during the final 15 minutes, we regained control, pushed hard but were not able to score. We have problems up front. The Meridian Cup was well organised, and played in a competitive manner by every team, and I watched all of them, so it also gave me confidence as a coach. I see the future of Sierra Leonean football as bright because we will probably see these players progress through the Under-19 and U21 sides and on to the senior team. They are capable of reaching greater heights.

Carlos Dinis, Portugal coach
We were expecting to win the game, as we have a compact side with some quality players. However, it is not easy to be successful against sides like Sierra Leone, who tackled hard and did not allow us to play. We had problems against solid defensive sides in the tournament and sometimes this happens in football. We searched for different ways to score but failed to do that. This tournament has been positive for us, playing against non-European sides at this level. We have played against Spain and France before, but that experience was totally different. We are trying to prepare our players for the next UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifiers and the FIFA World Youth Championship, and the Meridian Cup was a good preparation for those.