Kerala Blasters head coach Mikael Stahre said his striker Kwame Peprah, who turned villain from hero in a 2-4 defeat to Mumbai City in Mumbai on Sunday, has assured he won't put his team in trouble again.
Peprah received a second yellow card for celebrating his goal that drew the Blasters level on 2-2 in the 71st minute after trailing 2-0. He had received his first yellow card for a foul committed in the 7th minute. The second yellow meant he was sent off, reducing the Blasters to 10 men. Thereafter, the Blasters conceded two more and lost.
"We spoke about it in the locker room. He will never make this mistake again," Stahre said in his post-match press conference. The Swede said he was glad about Peprah's overall performance. The Ghanaian had been a threat to Mumbai's defence and won a penalty that was converted by Jesus Jimenez in the 57th minute and halved the deficit.
Stahre said his 23-year-old striker knows he had committed a costly error. "It will be a learning point for him. He knows that he has put the team in trouble. We have already talked about it. Now it is about moving on."
The coach had appeared crestfallen, he felt his players were "unable to handle some crucial moments in the game". "Obviously we have to not put us in trouble with fouls and yellow and red cards," he said.
'Noah is getting closer'
The absence of Noah Sadaoui, who made five goal contributions in five matches, was glaring. The Moroccan has missed the Blasters' last two matches due to fitness issues. But Stahre said the striker was almost ready to be back on the pitch.
"He is back on the training pitch. He is getting closer and closer. If he is not ready for the next match, he should be after the international break," Stahre said.
