Ivory Coast coach Henri Michel said his team's lack of experience cost them a defeat in their World Cup opening game against Argentina. "We paid a very heavy price for our lack of experience; at this level any mistakes you make are invariably punished," Michel said in Saturday's post match press conference. The African Cup finalists slumped to a 2-1 defeat in their World Cup debut in Group C. Michel's side played frantically in the first period, often breaking through Argentina's defense. But while Arthur Boka, Didier Zokora and Kanga Akale's speed dominated the field early on, they were unable to overcome sloppy shots towards the goal, leaving their coach lamenting these opportunities. "I'm not angry about the defeat but I am a little disappointed. We created a lot of opportunities but we couldn't take them," Michel said. Michel, who coached France, Cameroon and Morocco into World Cup action, said the team was more controlled in the second half and admitted it wasn't enough to take back Argentina's lead. "Did we deserve to lose? The truth is that you shouldn't really think about what might have happened, the fact of the matter is that they scored twice and we lost 2-1," he said. In contrast to Michel's pragmatism about the loss, Argentina's coach Jose Pekerman praised the newcomers' advanced skill. "We were up against very tough opponents, who performed not like a side making their first World Cup appearance but like a team capable of achieving real success (here in Germany)," he said. Ivory Coast are yet to play Holland and Serbia in the group stage and Michel still sees the silver lining. "We will put on a good display. It's not over yet," he said.
