Berti Vogts is still hopeful to reach the knock out stage

Super Eagles coach Berti Vogts, has brushed aside his team lone goal defeat to tournament favourite the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire insisting that his lads still have what it takes to reach the knock out stage of the competition.

The highly rated Nigerian team fell to Salomon Kalou's solo effort in the 66th minute of play to extend the Elephants' domination over them in the last two editions of the tournament."Its painful loss but I think my team gave a good account of themselves. It was just unfortunate the back line lost concentration for a moment and that alone separated the two teams.

"I lost to a good side and perhaps the best in the continent at the moment the result was a respectable one and let me use this opportunity to congratulate the team and I hope when next we meet it will be a different ball game," the German coach commented.

Vogts, who believes that the Super Eagles still have a lot to play for, noted that the loss to Cote d'Ivoire is a wake up call for the entire team and that history of previous participation will assure Nigeria a good performance at the end of the day.

"I'm aware that this is not the first time Eagles will lose in the opening match and then recover to reach the crucial stage. Although no coach will wish loose a vital match with the hope of a recovery in the subsequent games but when things like this happen, you have to go back and re-strategise," he noted.THISDAYSports recalled that the lone goal defeat of the Super Eagles yesterday is the fourth time Nigeria would lose the opening group match and on two previous occasions they bounced back to achieve greatness.

Aside the 3-6 loss to Egypt in the opening group match of 1963 edition in Ghana, the two other occasions at Algeria 1990 and 2004 edition in Tunisia had Nigeria came back from defeat to reach the knock out stage.

"We are on course to reach the next stage of the competition and since my players have realised the enormity of the work at hand, I'm optimistic that the team will sail to the next round," he insisted.