Tinubu to Super Eagles: You've Proven Nigeria's Greatest Strength Lies in Diversity

Confers MON national honours on players Announces donation of plot of land, flats in Abuja to each player Promises to attract investors for promotion of Nigerian professional football league Peseiro: I'm sad not bringing home the cup I'll return to my S’Africa despite threats, says Nwabali Musa, Osimhen flay cyber bullying of Iwobi

President Bola Tinubu has said the national football team, the Super Eagles, had demonstrated by their team spirit and discipline at the just concluded Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Côte d'Ivoire, that diversity was principally the nation’s source of strength.

Speaking yesterday at a reception in honour of the players at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja, the President commended the team for its exemplary display of unity, determination, and resilience on the field.

He emphasised the pride Nigerians felt in the Super Eagles’ remarkable journey throughout the competition.

''It is a great honour for me to receive you, our Super Eagles. As a team, you taught us lessons on resilience, togetherness, diversity, and excitement in competitive games.

''You started the tournament as if Nigeria would not assert itself, but you progressed to the finals. Through all the challenges and dealing with great humidity in the host country, you left your clubs and honoured your country. You gave us great excitement.

''You were determined. We salute your resilience. You lifted our spirits, and you made us proud. You made us smile as Nigerians. It is not easy to absorb a loss, particularly when the expectations are high.

“But you have demonstrated sportsmanship, resilience, and teamship throughout the entire tournament. That is what AFCON stands for, the unity and resilience of the continent. You have done a great job, and I am very proud of you."

The president, however, pledged to continue investing in sports and youth development, adding: ''We will consult with you on how to facilitate and promote sports development.

“As your president, I will go out to attract greater private sector investment in the Nigerian Professional Football League. We have to grow our local league, and I promise to be a super promoter of sports in our country.

“Many of you may in the future become managers of our local premiership system. I want to say once again that I am proud of you, and Nigeria is proud of you. You are a lifter of spirits."

Tinubu, therefore, conferred national honours on each member of the football team, which clinched the silver medal in the competition, and announced the donation of a flat and a plot of land to each of them.

He decorated each member of the team with Member of the Order of the Niger (MON) lapel pins, while the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, immediately distributed forms for the allocation of a plot of land to each of the players.

Earlier, the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, applauded the president for prioritising sports development in the country and ensuring support for the team.

He lauded the defining decision of creating a separate Ministry of Sports Development.

''For the first time, we have gone through a major competition; we have come back without any crisis, without any complaint, without any issues whatsoever relating to allowances, bonuses, or whatever. This kept the team focused on the matches in front of them with quality results,'' Enoh said.

Speaking on behalf of the team, the Vice-Captain, William Troost-Ekong promised to work hard to surpass their achievements by winning the gold medal in the next competition.

''We are very grateful for your support during our time in Ivory Coast. We did our best until the final. I wish that we were here carrying the trophy for you.

''In 2019, I was here with a bronze medal. Now we are here with a silver medal. I have two gold-medal winners beside me here and all we can promise is that we will continue to work hard, and the next time we meet, hopefully next year, we will be bringing home a gold medal,'' Troost-Ekong said.

Speaking to newsmen after the presidential hosting, Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Jose Peseiro, expressed sadness that Nigeria did not win the AFCON tournament.

Peseiro, who also expressed excitement over the invitation to the State House by President Tinubu and the honours and gifts that followed, lauded the performance of the team at the tournament, saying they gave their one hundred per cent at the outing.

His words: “First of all, I’ll like to say thank you to the president. I am 60 years old, this is the first time some president invited me to his house. It’s an honour and a pride to me that the President of the Republic of Nigeria for the invitation to come here. Thank you very much.

“About the final, if you ask me, I think we did a fantastic job, our team showed very good spirit and played well. My boys did 100 percent, same for my staff and the NFF was the biggest for us. So you can find my staff also and everybody. Thank you to the players.

“Of course I would have liked to bring the cup to the Nigerian people. I'm sad about that. But, of course, I'm happy because I think we did a fantastic job. In the final, I think we felt that atmosphere.”

Goalkeeper of the national team, Stanley Nwabali, said he would return to his South African club side, Chippa United, as he had no reason to fear going back.

Nwabali was reportedly threatened on the social media by some fanatic supporters of the South African national team, Bafana Bafana, for being instrumental to the ouster of their team at the semi-final stage, though he played for a South African club.

Nwabali stopped two penalty kicks by Bafana Bafana players in the decider penalty stage, during the Nigerian-South African semi-final match at the Stade de la Paix, in Bouake.

"Definitely, I must go back to my club, but talking about the threat, this is football, you can't threaten someone because they also won some other teams too.