Coach Amara Traore thanked his team players for their efforts in Wednesday's 2-1 loss to co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, leaving Senegal out of the 2012 African Cup of Nations.

“We prepared very well for this game and we had many opportunities. We were just unlucky tonight. I am very happy for my players, they gave everything,” Traore said at a post-match press conference.

“I am very disappointed ... because we deserve to win something at this tournament. It is frustrating for some of the players who are playing in the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. We hope to win our last match and bow out with our heads high,” he added.

“We all failed together and won’t single out any player for blame.”

The Teranga Lions will head home next week regardless of whether they win their final Group A match against Libya Sunday evening. Strikers Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse will thus be returning to Newcastle earlier than expected.

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