Celtic winger blamed for AFCON defeat as Hoops stars return to Parkhead following round of 16 heartache
Both of Celtic’s AFCON-bound stars are returning after respective round of 16 defeats for Tunisia and DR Congo.
Celtic winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha has came under criticism after DR Congo were defeated by a late extra time winner against Algeria in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The summer signing was brought on as a sub to try and win the game for DRC, however he was unable to make an impact. Adil Boubani’s speculative last minute winner won it for Algeria in the 119th minute. Despite the Celtic winger not being at his best, his International manager has stuck up for him after the match, claiming he ‘fought until the end’. Balikwisha will now travel back to Scotland alongside Hibs defender Rocky Bushiri after the defeat.
The round of 16 was also the end of the road for Sebastian Tounekti’s Tunisia, as they bowed out to Mali on penalties. The Celtic winger was an unused sub in the match, but featured in all three of his nation’s group stage games.
Balikwisha performance ‘satisfactory’ despite coming under scrutiny
Democratic Republic of Congo fans took to X after the game to voice their frustration with the 24-year old with one fan claiming he ‘dragged’ the team down, however manager Sebastien Desabre stuck with his winger after the match, along with the other substitutions.
According to the Daily Record, he said: "we feel an inevitable disappointment after conceding the decisive goal late in the game. The players gave their all on the pitch and fought until the end, but it wasn't enough. We had a good second half, and in extra time, we were physically evenly matched, but the goal came from a counter-attack while we were trying to attack.
“Practically, the player substitutions were satisfactory, and we played three exciting matches in the group stage. We faced Algeria in the round of 16, and we fought hard. The level between the two teams was close, and the difference was minimal, which is why we feel disappointed. I have nothing to reproach the players for, and we must keep our heads held high because we gave everything we had.”
‘Confidence’ key for Balikwisha’s Hoops career
The DR Congo International is coming back to a completely different Celtic set-up to the one he left when he headed to Morocco for the competition a month ago, with Martin O’Neill now in charge. During his previous interim spell, the Celtic boss claimed that Balikwisha has potential and that he could start a ‘clean slate’ with the new manager. Ironically that manager now is O’Neill himself.
He said: “you cannot play this game without confidence, and that’s the point, but what happens over these couple of weeks, you start to see some players (emerging). There’s one or two lads at this minute, like Balikwisha, who have not had a chance to play – I just said to him in the dressing room, ‘With the next manager coming in, he will see what you can do’.
“So some players who have stepped into the team and onto the mark have actually excelled in that sense, so they do not want to give their position away. Overall, it is up to players to do that. Confidence is everything if you can play.”