After his side's 2-1 loss to Orlando Pirates in the CAF Champions League group stage opener, CR Belouizdad head coach Abdelkader Amrani expressed his belief that his team did not deserve to leave empty-handed.
The Algerian giants endured a tough start to their campaign as the Buccaneers claimed all three points.
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Mohau Nkota's early brace, with strikes in the 5th and 27th minutes, set the tone for the hosts.
Khanyisa Mayo's second-half goal offered a glimmer of hope for Belouizdad, but they ultimately fell short of securing a result.
Reflecting on the match, Amrani admitted that conceding so early derailed his side's morale and tactical approach.
"I think we showed two faces, one in the first half and the other in the second half," the 68-year-old said during his post-match press conference, as quoted by Mes7at.com.
"The start was not good because we conceded a goal after five minutes. This goal affected our morale a lot. I felt that it confused the players, and we did not know how to position ourselves on the field.
"At some point, the players felt afraid. Honestly, with all due respect to the opponent, I think we gave them more than they deserved and respected them too much, so we forgot our way of playing."
Despite the shaky start, Amrani believed his side could have changed the course of the match had they taken their chances before halftime.
"We tried to get back into the scorers' list and we missed one or two chances. If we had scored, things would have been better in the second half," he continued.
The Algerian tactician praised his team's spirited response after the break, as Belouizdad created multiple opportunities to equalise.
"Certainly, in the second half, we were a different team and we reached the opponent's goal several times, with Mayo, [Aymen] Mahious and [Naoufel] Khacef coming in. This gave us the advantage and reduced the score."
"Looking at the performance of the second half, we can say that we did not deserve to lose. At least it deserved a draw," the coach added.
While lamenting the dropped points at home, Amrani struck an optimistic tone regarding the remainder of the group stage campaign.
"It is true that we lost three important points at home, but we are optimistic and will not give up," he said.
"There are five matches left and 15 full points to fight for. Just as we lost at home, we can win away from home."
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Belouizdad now turn their attention to their next continental test against Ivorian outfit Stade d'Abidjan, as they look to bounce back and reignite their campaign.