West Ham miss AFCON Duo in Stalemate against Brighton

By Godwill Odilu

West Ham United secured a goalless draw against Brighton in Tuesday night’s Premier League clash, leaving Hammers manager David Moyes thrilled with the outcome.

Missing key African players Mohammed Kudus and Nayef Aguerd, who are on international duty for the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which kicks off on January 13 in Ivory Coast, West Ham faced a resilient Brighton side.

Despite recording their first clean sheet of the season, the Seagulls missed an opportunity to climb to sixth place in the league standings.

Moyes, expressing his satisfaction to Sky Sports, acknowledged Brighton’s strong performance, emphasizing their goalkeeper’s crucial saves.

He also highlighted Tomas Soucek’s missed chance, leading to the realisation that “we probably need to fight our way to a 0-0,” praising the team’s defensive compactness.

Moyes emphasized the challenge of facing top teams during the Christmas period, lauding the defensive efforts of his players.

Brighton’s head coach, Roberto De Zerbi, echoed Moyes’ sentiments, expressing pleasure with his team’s clean sheet and overall performance in East London.

Despite not securing a win, De Zerbi highlighted the eight clear chances created and praised his “incredible dressing room” capable of playing without many injuries.