AFCON 2023: ‘Tinubu not impressed with your performance’, Minister informs Super Eagles

The Super Eagles are currently competing in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. President Bola Tinubu has challenged the team to do better and advance farther in the competition.

John Enoh, the Minister of Sports, chatted with the players from Abuja via Zoom on Wednesday night and delivered Tinubu’s message to the national team.
Enoh stated that the team’s performance in the group stage did not impress the President.

“Yesterday, I met with the President,” he declared. I went to the villa to get something else, and when the President caught me off guard, he told me that the Eagles had qualified. I told him that’s how we were going to play until we won the championship.

“I should let the players know that, although he wasn’t too impressed with the last game, he knows they will have a greater opportunity to impress him now that they are out of the group stages,” he said.

“The President told me that, which indicates that the President is truly following your matches. Do you think this is true? Because he is aware that there is a lot of caution during the group stage and that you will be more impressive from the round of 16, the President is encouraging you and demonstrating his mastery of the game.
“I recall that Egypt had a difficult time qualifying for the 2022 Cameroon tournament, but they managed to make it to the finals.”

Ahmed Musa, the captain of the team, responded by thanking the sports minister and urging the President to attend a live game, citing the opportunity to inspire the players.

At Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Saturday, the Super Eagles will take against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the tournament’s round of 16.