Matjaž Kek satisfied after tough away game in Kazakhstan: “We should have played better, but the win was well deserved”

Published on 13. October 2024 13. October 2024

Photo: YouTube (NZS) - screenshot

Matjaž Kek sighed with relief. If he looked grim after Oslo, this time there was finally a smile on his face. After everything that happened, he also breathed a sigh of relief following the victory over Kazakhstan. Losing twice in a row is always uncomfortable… Slovenia couldn’t afford that. After the painful Norwegian slap, they quickly bounced back, overcame Kazakhstan, and remained in contention for victory in their league of nations group.

“We had an expectedly tough match, also because Kazakhstan at home is completely different from when they play away. Norway felt this firsthand… After such a defeat as we experienced in Oslo, which resonated like something bad, like something that put everything into question again, after such a long journey and all the difficulties we had, a tough match is a completely logical consequence. We started poorly, but then we quickly became more determined, more focused, and we began to gain points. These are matches that ‘hang’ all the time. If you score quickly, it can be over soon, but this way, they always had opportunities opening up. We made a few too many mistakes, but the boys showed character, true personality,” Matjaž Kek told Sportklub after the match in Almaty.

Matjaž Kek: “It’s also difficult in lower leagues”

Slovenia has now beaten Kazakhstan for the fourth time in a row, which is something that Mariborčan is pleased about. “Many national teams have had trouble here; many have not won. And to defeat the same opponent four times in sports is really not easy. It is very difficult. Even in lower leagues,” said the selector of Slovenia vividly.

“This victory was deserved. There were some moments when we should have played better. Already the day before the match, I saw a good response from the boys to the criticism that emerged during training. It is clear to see that we suddenly lost some confidence on the ball. But that is the result of everything that has happened… I want to congratulate the boys; they won the match they had to win. We have 7 points, and the November cycle will be very tense. The chances are 50-50. I hope it will be calmer around the national team than it was this time. The national team can certainly deserve criticism, but at the same time, support. I appreciate criticism that is directed at provoking a better response from the team. If we hadn’t won this time, it would have clearly been total chaos. But the team showed the right character; we also gained some new names. For Kenan Bajrić, it really wasn’t easy to step into the game completely cold. Also for Petrović… We’ve had two tough matches. Tough away games. So, congratulations to the boys,” concluded 63-year-old Matjaž Kek.

This text was automatically translated using AI.

Author: editorial Football Planet