Despite scoring 25 points in the match, Bulgarian captain Todor Aleksiev is not satisfied with his performance as his team were pushed to play the tie-breaker by Egypt
Gdansk, Poland, September 6, 2014 –
Bulgaria prevailed in the five-set clash with Egypt in Pool C of the FIVB
Volleyball Men’s World Championship at the Ergo Arena on Saturday.Egypt captain Saleh Youssef: “We played a
very good game today. By saying this, I do not only mean that we played well in
the third and fourth sets. We started fine in every set but unfortunately we
committed many mistakes at the end of each set. I am happy that we managed to
become a threat to Bulgaria and we were able to win two sets. We started
aggressively in the tie-breaker and we even took the lead, but we just lost our
confidence in the end. This is because of our inexperience in this kind of
crucial situations. We need more time to prepare to be able to beat a team like
Bulgaria. Nonetheless, I am happy for the good spirit that my team-mates showed
today.”Egypt coach Ibrahim Fakhreldin I: “I am
please with my team’s performance today. We had a great start in each set. My
team performed well in block and floor defence. Unfortunately in the fifth set,
we lost focus and it was the only reason that we lost. We have show great
potential today. Our game is getting better and better in every match. This is
a good sign for me as a coach and for my team and hopefully we can have more time
to gain enough experience to be in equal footing with the best teams next
time.”Bulgaria captain Todor Aleksiev: “It was a
tough game but we made it through. We suffered also because of our own errors.
What we need to do is to stop playing nervously. This nervousness is killing
our game. We have to stay focused. I can describe my performance in one word –
awful. Now we have to push forward, get our confidence back and make lesser
unforced errors.Bulgaria coach Plamen Konstantinov: “In
this match, I wanted to put some new players on the court, the ones who played
less since we started playing in the Championship. I also wanted my starters to
get some rest so they can prepare for the big match against Russia. I will need
my entire team to be in top shape against Russia and I want them to fight for
every point. I can see some positives after today’s meeting as well. I am happy
that my players managed to regain control in the fifth set. It was something
positive for the mental toughness of my team. I am glad that I can see some
positive things during our training. These are things you cannot see during the
matches. We have not really shown this potential in these past few matches and
hopefully fans will be able to see them tomorrow when we play Russia.”