Blaise Nkufo and his Swiss team-mates rocked the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ to its foundations with their stunning 1-0 win over European champions Spain. The Congolese-born Nkufo talked to FIFA about his return from international exile at 35, Ottmar Hitzfeld's influence as head coach, and the significance of the first FIFA World Cup in Africa.
FIFA: Beating Spain was a great start, wasn't it?
Blaise Nkufo: Yes, it was a terrific victory. We played really well. We defended as a team, we were mentally well-prepared, we had a plan, and we put it into action.
How significant is the result for Swiss football, and for your country's chances in the group?
It's a wonderful gift to the whole nation. I'd go as far as describing it as a historic result. As I've said, we had a game plan, and the whole team put it into action from the start. We defended extremely well, and then we moved the ball wide and put over our crosses. It's the same in every big game, you have to create a few chances and that's what we did. We scored, and that's put us in a really good position in our group, although let's not forget that Spain remain the absolute favourites.
Much has been written and said about Ottmar Hitzfeld, his contribution to the victory, and the way he set up his team.
He's won everything there is to win as a coach. He's been hugely successful, and he knows exactly how to approach a big game. He's been getting that across to the team and helping us develop a winning mentality. He told us we're capable of winning every match, and that's the approach the players take with them on to the pitch now, regardless of who we're playing. Yesterday, it was Spain. We had to move mountains, and without the belief that we really could do it, we'd never have won the game.
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