Source: PA
Hughes praises Bamba despite defeat
Hibernian manager John Hughes has praised returning defender Sol Bamba for shrugging off the controversy of his pre-season row with the club in their Europa League defeat to NK Maribor.
The Ivory Coast international refused to return to training on time last month following the World Cup in South Africa and, after showing up in Edinburgh a week late, was left out of the first-leg trip to Slovenia.
However, the former Dunfermline stopper was drafted back into the starting line-up and won praise, along with midfielder Liam Miller and striker Colin Nish, for his defiant display against a team Hughes confessed were better over the two legs.
Already behind 3-0 from the first leg, Hibs fell to a 3-2 reverse on the night and a 6-2 aggregate defeat, but Hughes saw some glimmers of hope in his team's display.
He said: "I was delighted with big Sol Bamba's performance. I felt he was different class for someone who hasn't trained much.
"You could see the asset he was to Hibs. Liam Miller was like a Trojan out there and big Colin Nish fought his corner. It was a good hard-working performance but it wasn't good enough."
