LA PAZ, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia midfielder Ramiro Vaca said Tuesday his team is suffering the "psychological consequences" of failing to qualify for this year's FIFA World Cup.
Bolivia fell just short in its bid for a first World Cup appearance in 32 years, falling 2-1 to Iraq in a March playoff.
Since then, the South American team has lost to Scotland, Algeria, Paraguay and Argentina by a combined score of 14-0.
"We had high hopes of being able to represent our country in the past World Cup," Vaca told reporters ahead of Bolivia's friendlies against Peru and Ecuador over the next week.
"Not achieving that goal was a very hard blow. It has been very difficult for us to bounce back from that."
Vaca urged his teammates to put the disappointment behind them as they prepare for the next cycle of South American World Cup qualifiers.
"It's time to stop dwelling and start over," said Vaca, who plays for Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates. "We're very motivated and have that thirst for revenge to be able to take the country to the next World Cup."
Bolivia will face Peru in Lima on Friday and Ecuador in Guayaquil next Tuesday. Vaca predicted difficult encounters against opponents with similar plans to rebuild their squads.
"The most important thing is the way we play, that we continue doing things well and keep working on this identity we have as a national team," the 27-year-old said. "We hope to get two good results in this FIFA window." ■
