Nigerian president Bola Tinubu is not happy with the performance of the Super Eagles team at AFCON 2023, and he has demanded for more in the knockout stages.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called out the Nigerian football team for not impressing him with their performance at AFCON 2023.
The President's message was delivered through the Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh, who spoke to the players from Abuja via Zoom on Wednesday night in Abidjan.
“I had a meeting with the President yesterday. I went to the villa for something else, and the President cornered me and said we (Eagles) managed to qualify, and I said that’s how we are going to keep going until we win the tournament," stated Minister Enoh.
05:26 - 25.01.2024
AFCON 2023: Takeaways from a wildly exciting group stage
Reviewing the Africa Cup of Nations group phase that shattered misconceptions about the continental showpiece.
“He said that I should tell the players that he wasn’t too impressed with the last match, but he knows that now that they are off the group stages, they are going to impress him more."
Team captain Ahmed Musa responding, thanked the sports minister but also called on the President to come to see them play live, saying it would motivate the players.
The Super Eagles team didn't have a smooth sailing group stage, drawing with Guinea Bissau in their first match, but bounced back to defeat host nation Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea to qualify for the knockout stage.
They play the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the Round of 16 at the Felix Houphouet -Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Saturday.