President Muhammadu Buhari last night reacted to the loss by Nigeria’s Super Eagles Football Team to Tunisia on Sunday in Garoua, Cameroon, in the ongoing African Cup of Nations, AFCON, saying that although the team did not live up to the expectations of many Nigerians in the tournament, both officials and players deserve commendation for the tough fight they put up.
The Super Eagles in the round of 16 were eliminated from the tournament by Tunisia in the match that ended 1-0.
The President in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu was quoted as saying, “They gave everyone the confidence that they were up to it, and I am sure it was something they could have achieved. Nonetheless, we should not write them off.”
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President Buhari urged Nigerians to encourage the players to do better next time, especially in view of the World Cup qualification matches that have been lined up for them.
He directed the football authorities in the country to undertake a critical assessment on the Eagles’ performance at the Cup of Nations tournament and encouraged the general public to send their suggestions to the Nigeria Football Federation so that it will reflect and plan well for a better outing in the forthcoming World Cup competition.
