Nigeria international Igoh Ogbu has expressed confidence that Slavia Prague can still make it to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 despite losing 3-0 to Tottenham Hotspur on matchday 6.
The defeat to Spurs means Slavia Prague remain without a win in their last 17 Champions League games.
The club have now gone 14 matches without a victory in major European competitions, leaving them on the verge of elimination.
Also, they have are now the first team to fail to score in five consecutive Champions League fixtures since AC Milan in October 2023.
Despite the latest defeat, Ogbu insisted Slavia Prague should not be written off, stating that the team has a chance to qualify if they perform positively in the remaining matches.
“In the Champions League, I don’t think we have lost all the games,” Ogbu told flashscore.com.”We had three draws, and we lost two of the games before facing Spurs.
“We have a chance. We have two more games, and anything is possible. We have that maturity to get the needed result going forward because we’re a young team.
“We have young players and we work hard. I think anything is possible in football. I think we can achieve it if we keep working hard and keep doing good.”
Ogbu conceded a late penalty after a challenge on Xavi Simons, which the Dutch midfielder converted.
Reflecting on the match, Ogbu admitted the result was difficult to take but insisted it offered valuable lessons, accepting referee Benoit Bastien’s decision, describing the penalty call as fair and part of football’s realities.
“(The defeat to Spurs) is a tough one. To be honest, it was really a tough game for us and a good experience. I think for me, I’m okay with it.
“I think (the penalty call) is a fair decision. For me, it’s all a learning process. I wasn’t happy to get a penalty for my team.
“I think it’s a work in progress, and it’s part of the game.”
To stand a chance of progressing to the knockout round Slavia Prague must defeat Barcelona in their next Champions League match on January 21.
Meanwhile, Ogbu and his Slavia Prague teammates are close to clinching a ninth Czech First League title, having collected 42 points from 18 matches and remaining unbeaten so far.
When asked how the team is balancing the demands of competing in two tough competitions, he said: “It has not easy always travelling and coming back, no time to rest.
“I think we’re really trying on that. The Champions League is a league of champions where champions from different leagues converge.
“Every team is a champion in the Champions League, in their domestic league. So, when you play in this league, you have to have the highest qualities in order to beat the teams there.
“There are big teams, good quality players and everything. So to compete, you have to be really ready.”
