Heart of Lions head coach Kasim Gokyildiz has expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance despite suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Asante Kotoko in a three-period friendly match on Tuesday morning.The game, played over three 40-minute periods, saw Heart of Lions produce a competitive display, with Gokyildiz insisting that his side controlled the match for long spells before conceding.According to the Turkish coach, the only goal of the game came in the second half following a defensive mistake from his centre-back.We played a good match, 3 X 40 minutes. In general, it was a good performance on our side. Until we conceded the goal in the second half due to a big mistake by our centre-back, we controlled the game, Gkyildiz said.After falling behind, Kotoko increased the pressure, but Gokyildiz believes the opposition struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.In the third half, we made changes to the squad and came better into the game. We created some chances which we couldn’t score, he added.Despite the defeat, the Lions coach praised his players for their effort and believes the team possesses the quality needed to compete strongly in the upcoming season.I am satisfied with the performance of my boys. They did well. The quality is definitely there, and we will be well prepared for the upcoming season, he said.Gokyildiz also reiterated that results in pre-season friendly matches are not his primary concern. Instead, he is using the games to assess individual performances and determine how well his players are adapting to his tactical demands.I said before that the results of the friendly games don’t interest me. I am only looking at how the boys performed and how they implemented my requirements, Gokyildiz explained.The coach’s comments suggest that Lions are using their pre-season fixtures as an important opportunity to build tactical understanding, assess the squad and prepare thoroughly for the challenges of the new season.
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