Basake Holy Stars head coach Abdulai Gazale has admitted that his team struggled offensively and lost concentration in the closing minutes of their match against Hearts of Oak, a lapse that ultimately proved costly.

Gazale acknowledged that his players did not perform well in attack, although he was satisfied with their defensive organisation for most of the encounter. He believes the team’s inability to maintain concentration until the final whistle contributed to the defeat.

“We didn’t play well, especially in attack, but we defended very well. Unfortunately, we lost concentration in the dying minutes and were punished,” Gazale said.

The coach’s comments point to two major concerns from the performance: the team’s limited attacking threat and its failure to remain focused during the decisive moments of the game.

Although Basake Holy Stars managed to defend well for much of the contest, Gazale believes their efforts were undermined by the late lapse that allowed Hearts of Oak to take advantage.

The defeat will be disappointing for the technical team, particularly because the side had managed to remain organised defensively before conceding in the closing stages. In tightly contested matches, maintaining concentration until the final whistle can be just as important as defending well for the majority of the game.

Gazale also acknowledged the need for improvement in attack. His admission that Basake Holy Stars did not perform well going forward suggests that the team must find ways to create more meaningful opportunities and put greater pressure on opposing defences.

For the coach, the task will be to address both areas without losing the defensive discipline his players demonstrated during the match.

Basake Holy Stars will now need to learn from the setback and work towards producing a more complete performance in their upcoming fixtures. Better attacking execution and concentration in the closing minutes will be important as they seek to turn competitive performances into positive results.