Tinubu not happy with Super Eagles group stage performance, urges improvement in knockout round

Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has conveyed his dissatisfaction with the Super Eagles’ performance in the group stage at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.

Tinub’s message was delivered to the players during a Zoom meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh..

Jose Peseiro tutored Super Eagles secured a spot in the knockout round by finishing second in Group A behind Equatorial Guinea.

President Tinubu, according to the Sports Minister expressed disappointment with the team’s display, especially in their last group match against Guinea-Bissau.

Enoh shared the president’s sentiments during the meeting, saying “One of the main reasons that made me have this call with you is the chance I had meeting with Mr President yesterday, I went to the Villa for something else and the president cornered me and said, ‘we managed to qualify [for the Round of 16].’ I said your Excellency, that is how we will be going until we win the tournament.

And he said, ‘tell our players I wasn’t too impressed in our last match but I know that now that they are off the Group stages, I know they are going to impress me more and more.’ That is what the president told me,”

“The president is actually watching your matches and he is urging you and he knows that there was a lot of consciousness at the Group stages and he knows that from the Round of 16 that they [Super Eagles] are going to be more and more impressive.

“I remembered that in 2022 in Cameroon, at the Group stages, Egypt as a country barely struggled to qualify but that same Egypt went ahead to go and play the finals. I remembered that same Egypt, we won them in the Group stage. I remembered that superlative goal scored by [Kelechi] Iheanacho. I also need to communicate to you the mood back home in the country, Every Nigerian is rooting for you and believing you are going to do it again like the slogan of the NFF.” he concluded.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face Cameroon in the round of 16 on Saturday, January 27, 2024 by 9pm Nigerian time.

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