NKANA FC coach Ian Bakala has blamed his team's 2-0 home defeat to Green Eagles on Saturday on a lack of mental strength. Nkana began the year brightly with a 2-1 win over Mutondo Stars in week 19, but their early joy was short-lived. Forced to play their home match at rivals Power Dynamos' Arthur Davies Stadium due to a waterlogged Nkana Stadium, the "Wusakile Boys" started well but lost concentration, allowing Derick Bulaya to open the scoring for Green Eagles in the 28th minute. Coach Bakala believes his players panicked after conceding the first goal, leading to a lack of focus. "We started very well despite losing concentration," he said. "We conceded a goal no one expected, and players started panicking." Balaka feels that despite dominating the majority of the first half and failing to find an equalizer, the culprit was his players' mentality. "It's the mentality of players I think going forward they have to be strong, even if they are missing lot of chances concentration has to be there," he stressed. Having joined Nkana this season after leaving Forest Rangers, Bakala has found the job tough. With just five wins since taking over, he has failed to lift the team out of the relegation zone, where they sit third from bottom with 19 points from 20 games. However, the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations break provides an opportunity for improvement. "We just have to go and work extra hard this break so that we come strong," Bakala said. "By the time we come back from this break, Mbombo will be ready, and I think after this break, we will come up strong." Nkana's next game after the break is a trip to Mazabuka to play against FC Muza in February. Will Bakala be able to instill the mental strength needed to lift his team out of the relegation zone? Only time will tell.